Cougar Ladies Soccer Falls at State
The 2019 soccer season came to end for the Piedmont Academy girls soccer team in the opening round of the state playoffs but not before the team made improvements throughout the spring.
Piedmont fell 4-0 to Robert Toombs in the postseason after closing out the regular season with a 10-0 loss to power Augusta Prep.
“The season didn’t end how we wanted but there were a lot of good things we did in both the games,” said coach Michael Wilson. “Augusta Prep is a phenomenal team. They won their first two state games 9-0 and scored almost 60 goals in six region games. For us to be down only 4-0 at the half was an indication of how well we played.”
According to her coach, Cassidy Cook played a “fantastic game” against Augusta Prep.
“She was a huge factor in the first half going the way it did,” Wilson said. “Ultimately, their skill and depth was too much for us to handle but it’s nothing to be ashamed of because no other team in GISA can handle them for an entire game either.”
Despite the loss in the regular season finale, the Lady Cougars had already clinched a postseason spot. The team ventured to Robert Toombs Academy in Lyons for that contest.
“The game started out really well for us,” Wilson said. “We controlled the first 10 minutes and had three really good looks on goal. We weren’t able to capitalize on those chances and ultimately that proved the difference in the game.
“Sydney Stroud had two great attempts on goal off corner kicks from Sydney Davis and their keeper was right where the ball was delivered. I think if both one of those go in it definitely would have been closer and I think it might have been a different story.”
Host Robert Toombs got on the board with a penalty kick about 15 minutes into the game which seemed to frustrate Piedmont some.
“I think that led to us having some break downs and giving up two more goals over the next 15 minutes,” Wilson said.
Defensively Piedmont was led by Cally Cook and Raleigh Loftin.
“They did a great job in the middle of the field dispossessing Toombs on many of their counter attacks,” Wilson said. “Additionally, Mattie Johnston played a tremendous game. She suffered a high ankle sprain against Augusta Prep and was in a walking boot. She’s a senior and told me there was no way she was missing the game and we taped up here ankle and she played 75 of the 80 minutes. I couldn’t be more proud of her and her effort. I hope the younger girls recognize that and understand how much it meant to Mattie to play her final game for Piedmont.”
With the close of the 2019 soccer campaign, Wilson expressed gratitude for the team’s seniors.
“All the seniors definitely deserve credit and played all played excellent games,” the coach said. “Sydney Davis had two attempts and put the ball in position for others on five different occasions. Neely Bradford, Rylee Owens and Isabel McLaurin all played excellent and showed a lot of effort until the end. Cassidy had another excellent game but in the end we just ran in to the same issue we had all season. We struggled scoring goals when we had the chances to do so.”