| | Lady Eagles Suffer First Loss
The Charlotte Lady Eagles were in Atlanta Friday night for the second and final game of their week long road trip south. The Lady Eagles beat Bradenton 3-0 on Wednesday. The Lady Eagles sat atop the W-League with Atlanta so the game was sure to produce high level play and intensity. Besides the high skill level brought by both teams the dense humidity would prove to test the player's fitness as well.
Charlotte started the match confidently controlling the possession in the early goings and testing the Atlanta net. The game did open with a bit of a frantic pace as both teams battled to control the play. Atlanta would open the scoring however with a goal from Lyndsey Patterson in the 16th minute. Krista Bobo was able to find time and drive a ball into the Charlotte box that met the open Patterson who nodded a header over a leaping Laura Armstrong. The goal turned the momentum from Charlotte to Atlanta's favor for the next 20 minutes. The Lady Eagles responded though as Christy Rife capitalized on a poorly cleared ball in the Atlanta box and neatly finished the opportunity to even the scoring in the 35th minute. However, Atlanta was not to trail as Sarah Steinmann finished another Bobo cross just a minute later giving Atlanta the lead going into half time.
The Lady Eagles would respond and hold tough in the second half. Their attack would be absorbed for much of the match until Tina Murphy was able to nod a header into the Atlanta net to even the scoring. The game wore on fairly evenly as both teams tried to gain another goal. The heat was taking its toll and both teams substituted fairly early to keep fresh legs.
The game would turn late as Atlanta was able to spring substitute Molly Franklin who controlled a pass and was 1v1 with a Lady Eagles defender who was called for a foul in the Charlotte penalty area. Sharolat Nonen stepped up and cooly placed the spot kick past a diving Laura Armstrong. The game ended seconds later for a harsh finish to a greatly contested game.
The Lady Eagles return home to Restart Field at Charlotte Christian School next Saturday June 6th to open a double header against Tampa Bay. The Eagles play Richmond on Tuesday June 3rd and play Pittsburgh in the second game of the June 6th double header.
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