Lake Oconee Academy girls’ soccer captured the region title with a 3-2 win over Aquinas on Tuesday, March 26.
The Lady Titans (6-4-2, 5-2 Class A Division II Region 8) will head into the state playoffs as a No. 1 seed. They will also host a first-round playoff game when the regular season concludes next month.
LOA head coach Kourtney Kelley said the team’s expectations for this year were high after making a run to the semifinals last season.
“We have strong expectations of wanting to win, and we definitely have the ability to do so,” she said.
On Tuesday, the Lady Titans literally weathered the storm and knocked off the Lady Fighting Irish after the game was delayed a few hours due to lighting. But they survived and pulled out a win.
Last week, Lake Oconee Academy dropped a close game to Lincoln County. The Lady Red Devils edged the Lady Titans 1-0, putting them in a bind heading into Tuesday’s matchup with Aquinas.
“The loss to Lincoln County stung a bit for our girls, but they’re coming back ready to take on Aquinas and win the region championship,” Kelley said before Tuesday’s league championship tilt.
A major key for Kelley’s team this season has been its ability to strike quickly during a match. She likes to see her players start competing hard from the opening whistle and throw the first punch.
“We do a lot better when we score in the first five minutes,” she said. “We like to attack quickly.”
LOA has scored a goal during the first five minutes of a match in four of its region wins. One reason the Lady Titans are having so much success on offense is due to the play of the backline.
“(Our backline) is a big reason why we’re able to get the offense going because they don’t let many people pass them,” Kelley said.
When asked who has been standing out for LOA this year, Kelley said Lauren Glass and Addison Kelley. Glass is a junior midfielder and has been a leader for the Lady Titans this season.
“We challenge (Lauren) in big ways, and we want more out of her,” Kelley said. “At the end of the day, she gets us in the attack and does a lot for our team.”
Kelley, a freshman goalkeeper, has been a huge player for the team so far. When she has been in goal during region play, she hasn’t allowed a goal to be scored.
“That’s not her position, but she’s an athletic kid,” Kelley said. “She plays hard and doesn’t want the ball to go in the back of the net.”
LOA is on spring break next week, but its next match is on April 9th at home against Prince Avenue Christian. Earlier in the season, the two teams tied with a score of 0-0. The Lady Titans will close out the regular season the next day against the Academy of Classical Education in Macon.