Sophomore strikers lead Lady Hubs to first win.
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ROCHELLE — Sometimes the biggest difference in a soccer game can be whether or not you have the wind at your back.
That proved to be the case for the Lady Hubs varsity team when the girls took the field to face Mendota in nonconference action on a blistery Thursday afternoon at Rochelle Township High School. After fighting through the wind to a 0-0 tie in the first half, the purple and white took advantage of the gusty conditions in the second half, scoring three unanswered goals en route to a 3-0 victory over the Lady Trojans for win No. 1 on the season.
“The wind definitely had an impact on the game,” head coach Chris Blevins said. “When Mendota chose to take the south end of the field with the wind at its back we had to make sure our defense and our midfielders were staying back… Having the wind at our back in the second half helped because we were able to make longer kicks and their keeper was having a hard time getting the ball out of their zone.”
The Lady Hubs (1-1 overall) entered Thursday’s contest seeking their first win of the year after falling in a tough battle to Oregon on Wednesday by a score of 1-0. Neither Rochelle nor Mendota could find the net after 60 minutes of play, but the Lady Hubs took the lead after sophomore Keelyn Sarmiento (61’) connected off a pass by senior Ashley Kerns for the team’s first goal of the season. It was a welcome sight for Blevins, who said that Sarmiento spent most of last season on the bench as a freshman.