​Eagles look to move forward after loss to Tigers

by Michael Smith

      After Monday’s game against Lee’s Summit, Grain Valley head coach Brett Lewis had a message for his team.
     “We need to have the memory of a goldfish,” he said.
     What he meant by that was his Eagles need to have a short memory as his team ran into some bad luck and misfortune against the Tigers in a 6-0 loss on the road.
     Lee’s Summit had a pair of goals that deflected off the hands of goalkeeper Alayna Maybell and went into the net.
     A Grain Valley freshman Taylor Nicholson also got a red card with 3 minutes, 48 seconds left in the first half, which left the Eagles (2-2) short one player for the remainder of the game.
     “We were down a person and still found a way to create opportunities,” Lewis said. “We never really quit. Our girls responded really, really well.”
     Despite that the Eagles were still able to muster seven shot attempts. Two of those from freshman Radleigh Childers bounced off a goal post and ricocheted away from the goal.
     Junior Emma Thiessen also had a header that bounced off the crossbar and away from the goal.
     “Radleigh is going to get one here soon,” Lewis said. “She hit three or four posts in the Staley Tournament. She hit two posts tonight. She has hit it a ton. She is due.”
     Lee’s Summit (2-0) controlled the game from start to finish and led 3-0 at halftime. Junior Adriana Benassi scored on a breakaway in which she traveled about 45 yards before dribbling the ball inside the Grain Valley penalty box and punching one in from the left side.
      Junior Tatum Bresette made it 2-0 in the 19th minute with a direct free kick from 35 yards out that went over the outstretched hands of a leaping Maybelll; and senior Chloe Wilmes knocked in a penalty kick inside the left post in the 36th minute.
     Bresette completed the hat trick with two goals in the second half, while Grain Valley was down one player and Benassi also notched another goal as eh outran the entire Eagles back line and scored on an open run deep in the 18-yard box.
     “She was strong and very physical,” Lewis said of Benassi. “She’s a great finisher. She got around our outside backs a couple of times. We need to have two girls on her instead of having our backs isolated on her 1 v. 1. She was a special player for them. She is very unique.”
     The Eagles will play against Park Hill South today at 6:30 p.m. at home.

Grain Valley junior Annabelle Totta, left, tries to settle the ball to her feet. Photo credit: Michael Smith

​Grain Valley head coach Brett Lewis, right, talks to his team after a 6-0 loss to Lee's Summit. Photo credit: Michael Smith