Staff Writer

The Lady Dogs posted mixed but promising results this week, taking a strong win over Lamar County last Tuesday before falling in an unfortunate loss to Harlem last Thursday.

Although the game against Lamar County started nearly an hour late, the Lady Dogs were not disturbed by the change in schedule. The girls came out strong, quickly taking the fight to Lamar. As would be the case for most of the game, much time was spent immediately in front of their opponent’s goal. The Lady Dogs took advantage of the weak pressure being applied by Lamar’s defense and struck soon, with Danielle Massey being the first to find the back of the net.

Many Lady Dogs had the opportunity to shoot on goal as the half continued, with fast breaks from Candice Johnston and Massey showing Morgan County’s offensive potential. Johnston soon contributed her own goal after a fast break past the Lamar defense, putting Morgan County up 2-0.

A strong midfield and defense from the Lady Dogs kept the team off their heels and the forwards on the offensive, as Massey and Tiffany Butler put two more past Lamar’s goalie in the second half. With impenetrable defense and a strong offense, Morgan County went on to take the 4-0 win.

The Lady Dogs didn’t hold such an advantage two days later, when they travelled to Harlem. The team was put to the test by a rough, muddy playing field and two quick Harlem forwards, and in the end the Lady Dogs came up short.

The teams were well-matched through the first half, with strong defense from both sides contributing to a 0-0 stalemate. However, Morgan County’s defense lapsed briefly in th
e second half, allowing too many shots on goal for the team to handle. During the uncharacteristic defensive breakdown, Harlem took a 4-0 advantage by which they would win.

"We were good in one game and lousy in the other," said Head Coach Stuart Kahn. "Our defense was good against Lamar." Against Harlem, "One twenty-minute period killed us. Sloppy field conditions didn’t help, but we just didn’t play very well in the second half."

The Lady Dogs take on Jackson County in an away game today.