DANE FUELLING
WZBD.com
They scored too early.
The old soccer saying likely found itself to be true Tuesday night as the goal in the 15th minute by Ashley Bleke ultimately did not hold up, as Bishop Dwenger came back to win 2-1 in matchup of two teams ranked in the top ten in 2A in Indiana.
The Braves conceded two late goals in the second half as Dwenger took control of the game with possession after halftime, creating chances with their physical play and over-the-top balls.
The game couldn’t have gotten off to a better start for the home team, with the Braves enjoying a good bulk of the possession and winning a majority of the 50/50 balls. Kaitlyn Barton drew several fouls in the early going and it was a foul across midfield that gave the Braves their first scoring opportunity. Within Barton’s range, the Braves sent Bleke forward for the free kick and after the ball was knocked around by a few touches, it fell to the feet of the sophomore center back and she slotted it home for the opening score.
Bellmont kept the pressure on from there for the rest of the first half, with the Saints struggling to do anything with their possessions other than playing the ball long and waiting for senior Bellmont keeper Emily Barton to gobble it up without a challenge in her own box.
The half time break, however, changed the tone, and Dwenger came out for the second half with an aggressive attitude. The play of junior Alima Stroud was especially impactful, as she created a new dynamic in the midfield that suddenly gave the visitors an edge.
In the 58th minute, Samantha Aselage assisted Jillian Gustafson on a goal from a rebound to level the score.
Gustafson’s score ratcheted up the pressure on the Bellmont back line even more, with the Saints sending more numbers forward because of their advantage in the midfield. An outstanding connection between Adelyn Brueggeman, the Dwenger right back, and Aselage put Brueggeman in position to make an overlapping run down the right side, where she received the ball, drove toward the end line and then chipped the ball over the head of the Bellmont goalie for what was ultimately the winning goal.
The Braves’ inability to hold on to a lead has been a recurring theme in the last week, but ultimately, the Braves have shown that they belong on the same pitch as all of the teams they’ve faced.
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