Murphy – The Lady Bulldogs’ soccer team continued their winning ways, disposing of Hayesville 9-0 and finishing off the week off with an 8-0 win over Blue Ridge Early College.
On March 18, Murphy (7-1) opened the week hosting the Lady Jackets, and Murphy’s defense was again tenacious. Isabel Parker led the way with 14 steals, but her teammates didn’t let her do all the work by herself. Lailee Holloway, Ella Howard and Halie Hill had six steals apiece, while Tyra Nelson, Breeze Hinton and Faith Lescalleet had five each. Hayesville (1-3) only managed one shot, which goalie Shyla Coleman rejected.
Murphy scored early and often, as they kept the ball on their end of the field most of the game. Hailee Hill got things started for the Lady Dogs as she stole the ball and scored with 21 minutes left in the half.
Lailee Holloway got going for the first of her four goals at the 20-minute mark in the game. Brooklyn Johnson would round out the scoring for Murphy in the first half, as she hit her first goal with two minutes left in the half to give Murphy a 3-0 lead.
Two minutes into the second half, Holloway added another goal and Johnson followed with another with 33 minutes left in the game. Holloway scored again at the 14-minute mark of the second half.
With three minutes left in the game, Murphy added three more goals. Yasmin Garcia scored at the three-minute mark, followed by Holloway at the two-minute mark and Tina Bui ended the game early with a score at the one-minute mark. There is a mercy rule in girls’ soccer with a 9-0 lead.
Holloway led the scoring for Murphy as she scored four of nine attempts and had one assist. Brooklyn Johnson had two goals and had four steals.
Blue Ridge (0-4) didn’t fare any better against the Lady Bulldogs on March 19. Murphy jumped out to a 6-0 lead, as the team’s tough defense kept the Lady Bobcats scoreless.
Murphy scored early and often. Lailee Holloway hit the first of her five goals as she stole the ball from a Bobcat and scored at 30:43 left in the first half.
Halie Hill stole the ball again and set up Holloway for her second goal at with 22:07 left in the half. Holloway set up Cadence Walton with a goal with 14:52 left in the half.
Just 24 seconds later, Halie Hill got in on the scoring action at the 14:29 mark. Holloway rounded out the scoring in the first half with her third goal of the night to give Murphy a 5-0 lead at halftime.
The Lady Bulldogs put on a passing clinic to net their sixth goal midway through the second half. On the attack,
Hill passed to Walton, who sent the ball to Holloway, who put it into the net. Murphy led 6-0 at the 19:54 mark of the second half.
Three minutes later, Holloway got a rebound and sent the ball home for her fifth goal of the night. Brooklyn Johnson rounded out Murphy’s scoring, as she stole the ball and scored with 5:44 left in the game. That gave Murphy the 8-0 win and the Lady Dogs’ second shutout in as many games.
Murphy will host Highlands in their next game at 6 p.m. Thursday in a matchup with a storied history.