Trinity Christian "Motivated" In Win Over Sandy Creek
On Friday, the Trinity Christian Lions boys soccer team hit the road to take on the Sandy Creek Patriots, looking to bounce back from their loss on Thursday, while the Patriots looked to make it two straight wins. Motivation appeared to be on the Lions side as the match got underway as they would control the field majority of the first half with five plus shots on goal and eventually taking a 3-0 lead as Sam Taylor, who finished the night with three goals, Luke Schwarting and Connor DePriest would each account for a goal.
Looking to swing the momentum in their favor, Sandy Creek would be the aggressor early on in the second half as they would connect for the first two goals of the half with Thomas Ariza and Khalil Meikle would each score as the Patriots trailed 3-2. However, Trinity Christian would close out the half scoring the next three goals, including two on penalty kicks by Taylor, giving him the hat trick in the 6-2 win for the Lions.
“I think we were just really motivated from our last game,” Trinity Christian sophomore, Collin Mudge said of the Lions’ performance on Friday. On Thursday, Trinity Christian lost a key region match up to Starr’s Mill and although Friday’s tilt with Sandy Creek was a non-region contest, the win gives the Lions a chance to take momentum into their final regular season game, a region game against Riverdale on Wednesday. “We wanted to come out strong,” Mudge added.
Currently sitting in fifth in the region standings, the Lions are still in the hunt for the fourth place position and a state championship tournament berth, however, they will also need some help from either North Clayton or LaGrange, who will both take on Troup, who sits a game ahead of Trinity Christian in the region standings. The Lions defeated Troup earlier this week so a win over Riverdale and a Troup loss in one of their final two games would give Trinity the final playoff position out of the region under Georgia High School Association tie breaker rules.
“I think we just need to listen to our back line, I think we can probably clear the ball a little quicker,” Taylor said of what the Lions should look to improve as they prepare for Riverdale as Mudge would add “playing more fluid together,” could also be helpful for the Lions on Wednesday.
