Golden Falcons finish job against Saints, this time

By Allen Etzler
Published in Sports on April 17, 2014 1:48 PM

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PIKEVILLE -- Charles B. Aycock had been here before and the result didn't end well.

The Golden Falcons conceded a two-goal, halftime advantage against Southern Wayne last month and settled for a disappointing 3-3 overtime draw.

On Wednesday evening, again up by two goals at the break, the Golden Falcons didn't allow the Saints to get back into the match. Sabrina Johnson and Alex Strickland helped Aycock keep its foot on the gas pedal in a 4-1 win at Hardy Talton Stadium.

"The girls motivated themselves and it worked out for us," CBA head coach Byron Adkins said. "They were more focused this game than they were before."

Johnson opened the scoring in the 11th minute. Emily Borel found Strickland on a corner kick, whose shot was deflected directly to Johnson. Johnson took a touch and shot the ball into the back of the net for the early lead.

"It was important (to get ahead early)," Johnson said. "It gave us the momentum and the confidence to know we could score more."

The Saints responded with a Breda Guzman goal on a counter attack as she stayed with a ball that deflected off of Golden Falcons goalkeeper Sarina Lancaster to Guzman's feet.

It was Aycock's lone hiccup of the match.

Eight minutes later, Johnson scored again with a lob shot that just cleared the outstretched hands of Saints' goalkeeper Macie Weeks.

Strickland, who was bottled up for the first 20 minutes, finally broke free midway through the first half. She dropped back to the midfield from her usual attacking position and freed herself up to get shots off from a longer distance.

She found the back of the net on a shot from more than 25 yards out that went into the top left corner. Weeks couldn't stop the shot.

"I finally was able to get a shot off and as soon as I hit it I knew it was going in," Strickland said.

The Golden Falcons kept pressing in the second half and had multiple opportunities to add more goals. Five second-half saves from Weeks kept the Saints in the game.

But in the 73rd minute, Anja Kliss chipped a ball over the Saints' back line that Strickland ran on to for a one-on-one with the goalie. Strickland finished a clinical strike in the left corner of the net for the final nail in the coffin.

Southern Wayne fell to 1-3-1 in Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A Conference play and entertains D.H. Conley today. C.B. Aycock plays host to J.H. Rose, but will play without Strickland, who is traveling on a school-sponsored trip to Spain for spring break.