A successful start to the Saline girls' soccer season hit its first speed bump last Thursday.
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After a pair of draws against non-league opponents in their first two matches, the Hornets opened their Southeastern Conference season with a 1-0 home loss to visiting Chelsea.
The Bulldogs' Emily Rabbitt scored with 20:17 remaining in the contest to drop the Hornets' record to 0-1-2 on the young season.
"We just weren't taking our shots," said head coach Dave Tapping. "We didn't make things happen in front of goal tonight."
The game was played in bitterly cold conditions that had players bundled up on the bench and fans huddled in the stands. By game's end, a light snow had started to fall. But Tapping said the temperature had no impact on the teams or outcome.
"None," he said. "Once the game started, it didn't make any difference. All the players are playing in the same conditions."
Saline's best chances came at the end of a first half that saw the Hornets enjoy much of the run of play.
After an even start with few offensive opportunities, the Hornets began to exert some pressure with a 12th-minute corner kick and a dangerous free kick into the box by Monica Mezger with 16:12 to play in the half. Less than three minutes later, junior Stephanie Burke's long-range shot was gathered by Chelsea goalkeeper Maggie Manville.
Sophomore midfielder Meredith Faas had seen more of the ball as the half progressed and, with 8:47 to play, produced the Hornets' best opportunity yet, as her throughball sent Lauren Birdsong in alone on Manville. But Birdsong's shot was wide.
A second Mezger free kick a minute later set Burke up from a tight angle on the left side of the box, and her shot just missed wide as well, sending both teams into the break scoreless.
The Hornets were unable to maintain their momentum into the second half, however. Saline goalkeeper MacKenzie Gilmore won a one-on-one with a Chelsea striker in the 47th minute when she forced the Bulldog shot to just trickle wide.
But the next time the Hornet defense wasn't as lucky, as a second breakaway saw Rabbitt slot the ball past Gilmore for the game winner.
"It was a breakdown between our midfield and the defense," Tapping said. "We didn't pick her up."
Gilmore kept the Hornets in the game with a save at the 17:52 mark as Saline pressed for the equalizer.
Burke's mazy run with 14 minutes to play took her past several Bulldog defenders, but her shot from the top of the box sailed high. Saline then nearly leveled the score in the 72nd minute through Katelyn Welzbacker, who volleyed from close range after meeting a long, left-wing cross at the far post. But Manville produced her best save of the match to preserve the Bulldog lead.
Saline was unable to muster a threat on the following corner kick and from there Chelsea re-took control of the match, forcing Gilmore into a brilliant save with four minutes left and having another goal disallowed for offsides.
The Hornets had one final chance on a free kick from 40 yards with under a minute to play, but Mezger's cross was unable to find a target and the Bulldogs killed off the remaining time.
"It wasn't a matter of X's and O's or skills. We just weren't hungry enough in the second half," Tapping said. "But it's still early in the season. We'll see how they respond."
The Hornets will look to bounce back when they host Bedford at 7 p.m. Thursday and Stoney Creek at 3 p.m. Saturday.
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