The Blair High School girls soccer team earned its fifth win in five tries Saturday afternoon.
Coach Nick Hall's Bears (5-0 overall) scored three second-half goals at Krantz Field, surviving the occasional snowflake and pushing past Hastings, 3-0.
“It starts with our warmup. We have really good intensity,” junior Brynn Ray said when asked about BHS' unbeaten start to the season. “We come out and we're ready to go.”
The players on the turf fulfill their roles, but it goes beyond that.
“All of the girls on the sidelines play their part, too,” Ray said, noting how their cheers help keep their teammates on the pitch amped. “It really just gets our energy up.”
After eight goals the night before at Platteview, the Tigers held Blair without a goal in Saturday's first half. In the second half, though, the Bears followed their shots and scored on rebounds.
Emmi Hall scored first during the 44th minute, tapping the ball into the net after Hastings' keeper batted away the first attempt.
Next, freshman Laynie Brown scored with 19:49 left in the match. She, too, scored after BHS' first attempt escaped the goalie's grasp.
“That was all Brynn,” Brown said, crediting her junior teammate. “She took a really good shot, and we were both there on the far post.”
In playing the Tigers, the Bears discovered how they may get a chance to finish goals on the backside of the initial shot.
“The goalie had a few of those where she didn't fully catch it, so we were just trying to be there for the rebound,” Brown said. “We try to stay wide, go to the far post and come in that way so nothing gets behind us.”
Ray then finally scored one of her goals with 6 minutes left, unleashing strong shot from right-to-left and into the scorebook.
“I just knew I wanted to get one,” she said.
The undefeated Blair girls were scheduled to host Elkhorn North on Monday and next compete 6:30 p.m. today at Omaha Concordia. The Bears have outscored their opposition 18-1. Goalkeeper Regan Blattert and her defense earned its fourth shutout against Hastings.
Bears rout Platteview
BHS surrendered its first goal of the season Friday, but it also dominated previously unbeaten Platteview on the road, 8-1.
Coach Hall's Bears led 6-1 at halftime and added two more goals in the cold of the second 40 minutes. Kaitlynn O'Neil and Claire Anderson notched two goals apiece, respectively, while Ray, Valeria Hernandez, Brown and Ryen Anderson each added one.
Hernandez and Ray had three assists apiece, too, while Brown had one.
The eight goals at Platteview were one more than BHS' total across three wins to start the season.
BHS SOCCER LINE SCORES
Saturday
Blair 3, Hastings 0
HHS (1-3) 0 0 — 0
BHS (5-0) 0 3 — 3
Goals: Emmi Hall, Laynie Brown and Brynn Ray.
Friday
Blair 8, Platteview 1
BHS (4-0) 6 2 — 8
PHS (4-1) 1 0 — 1
Goals: Blair: Kaitlynn O'Neil 2, Claire Anderson 2, Ray, Valeria Hernandez, Brown and Ryen Anderson.
