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  • Evan Bush makes a save during Friday night's game. Taylor Smith stands behind her. The Lady Chicks' season ended with a 2-0 loss to Carl Albert at Hampton Field. Express-Star photo by Aaron Colen

    5.4 Evan Bush v. Carl Albert.JPG

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May 8, 2012

Soccer: Lady Chicks can't avenge loss to Titans

Aaron Colen, Sports Editor, Aaron.Colen@chickashanews.com The Express-Star

CHICKASHA —  

It was the game the Chickasha High School girls soccer team had been waiting for since mid-March. It came in the second round of the state playoffs, but the result was the same for the Lady Chicks against Carl Albert.

Chickasha lost 2-0 to the Lady Titans  on Friday at home, once again unable to score against their very physical opponent.

The loss ended Chickasha's playoff run, and the team finished with an overall record of 12-2, both losses to Carl Albert.

The Lady Chicks lost to the Titans back on March 15 in Midwest City, 1-0.

Head coach Bethany Goble knew her team was facing a challenge, and was proud of how her team fought in the game.

"That's what I admire about these girls, just their fight to the finish," Goble said. "We're obviously against a team full of club players. The girls have made improvements all season."

Already down one player, having lost Sydney Cook to injury, The shorthanded Lady Chicks also lost Taylor Smith late in the first half to a right knee injury.

Smith was down for several minutes on the field, and it looked unlikely that she would be able to return.

After being tended to on the sideline and warming up again during halftime, Smith attempted to play at the beginning of the second half. Despite the valliant attempt, Smith simply didn't have the ability to move on the field like she needed to, and was clearly in pain. She was removed a minute into the second half.

Carl Albert scored its first goal in the game during the play when Smith went down, something that drew the attention of some of the Lady Chicks players. The Titans took advantage and took the lead.

The Titans scored again with about two and a half minutes left in the first half on a set play from a corner kick.

Goalkeeper Evan Bush also appeared to be banged up, walking with a noticeable limp. She played the first half of the game, and Casey Black played the second half in goal.

"Casey did have some big saves," Goble said. "She came in and held it down."

Still, Goble said the player losses hurt.

"Unfortunately, we got hit with a few big hits when we lost Taylor and we lost Evan, and then losing Sydney earlier on," Goble said. "I had freshmen step in, and they're just newbies, but they did what they were supposed to do."

The refs were allowing a lot of physical play, which Carl Albert used to it's advantage, often pushing and bumping Chickasha players off the ball with no consequences from the officials.

"It's hard when it seems like calls just aren't going our way," Goble said. "I told the girls that they're only in control of so many things. Everything else, you just play the way it lies."

In the end, Goble said the sadness of the evening did not come primarily from having lost the game.

"I'm sad that we came to an end," Goble said. "Not because we didn't win state, but because I'm done with these girls. Just from working with them the past three or four years and into this season, I admire and love everything about them. That's what I'm going to miss the most. Being around this great group of girls."

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