Lady Sandite Soccer season comes to an end at Deer Creek

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Charles Page High School Girls' Soccer Team (9-6) traveled to Edmond Thursday night for their season finale against Deer Creek High School (11-3) and fell 5-2 to cap a disappointing end to a season that started with lots of promise. 

The girls started the year with a bang, racking up a 3-1-1 record in preseason scrimmages, including winning the Stillwater preseason tournament. In the season-opener at East Central they dominated their opponents with a 10-0 mercy rule shutout in only 23 minutes. Over the course of the season they racked up six shutouts and a championship trophy at the Edison Green and White Tournament.

The girls' six-straight win streak came to an end with a 6-0 loss to Union, who is currently ranked number one in the nation with a 30-game win streak. They rebounded with a dominating 9-1 performance against Putnam City North, which saw Megan DeShazo score six goals. From there, however, they lost the final four of the season and failed to make the playoffs.

Things started out fairly close as Deer Creek held a 3-1 lead after the first half, with the lone Sandite goal coming from Kyndal Zicker.

DeShazo narrowed the gap to 3-2 on a penalty kick exactly four minutes into the second half, but Megan Neilson returned the favor seven minutes later for the two-point advantage. 

Oral Roberts University-signee Taylor Reed added to the lead on a high-sailing free kick from 27 yards out that sailed just over Sandite goalie Abigail Banks's head into the top right corner with 21 minutes to play.

With a 5-2 lead and 17 minutes left, the Lady Antlers pulled their starting lineup and sent in the second string. That evened things out quite a bit, but even the youngsters from an annual powerhouse like Deer Creek are above average players and the two teams were evenly matched for the duration and regulation expired before either team could score again. 

With the bulk of the ladies' wins coming against non-district foes, the girls settled for sixth in the district and failed to make the playoffs. Despite the heavy losses at the end of the season, the girls still outscored their opponents by an impressive 46-26 overall this season.

DeShazo led her team in scoring with 13 goals, followed by Zicker with 12, Kayla Foster with 10, Brooklyn Eardley with 9, and Kylie Taylor with 2.

Foster, who is signed to play with Missouri University of Science and Technology next season, led for much of the season, scoring two hat tricks in the first four games, but was sidelined for half a dozen games after sustaining an injury against Bixby. 

DeShazo, a junior, opened the season with a hat trick against East Central, and had the highest single-game performance for the girls with her six goals against Putnam North. 

The girls will be losing McKinzie Horton, Marissa Doll, Bryn Lewis, Taylor Coyle, Ashley Marino, and Alexis Slabby plus four players who are signed to play at the collegiate level. Eardley is headed to ORU, Kylee Cramer is headed to Oklahoma Baptist University, and Madison Dye will be playing for Northeastern State University. 

This season's soccer gallery can be found at https://sanditepride.smugmug.com/2016-Soccer

Sapulpa Lady Chieftains win Highway 97 Soccer Rivalry with 2-0 victory over Sand Springs

By: Virgil Noah, Marketing Director
Photo: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Charles Page High School girls soccer team (9-5) entered their matchup with their Highway 97 rivals Sapulpa High School (6-8) looking to right the ship and get to double digit wins after losing back-to-back games for the first time all season. The Lady Sandites fell to Westmoore High School (7-7) on Senior Night by a heartbreaking 2-1 score in extra time. 

The first half saw lots of scoring opportunities from both teams.  

Megan Deshazo put a cross in from a corner kick and Oral Roberts University signee Brooklyn Eardley got a head on it, but Lady Chieftain keeper Cierra Kent was able to bat it away. A few minutes later Lady Chieftain midfielder Mackenzie Biggs took a shot that Lady Sandite keeper Abigail Banks got a hand on and then deflected off the top of the crossbar.

Biggs would get off another shot and Banks made a diving save. Sand Springs defender Emma Peak stepped in front of a shot by Morgan Medina and it ricocheted off of her back and out of striking range. Just before the half Eardley got off a shot at the inside of the post that Kent had to slide to save and the first half came to an end tied 0-0. 

Minutes into the second half Emma Peak took a shot from outside the box that was saved by a sliding Kent and Kyndal Zicker got off a rocket of a shot that Kent barely got to. Sapulpa got on the board midway through the second half as a shot on goal was deflected by Abigail Banks, but bounced straight to Sapulpa midfielder Addyson Hoey who tapped it in for the lead.

Kayla Foster, who has seen limited action since returning from a knee injury, subbed in after the Lady Chieftain goal and nearly scored the equalizer. Foster lined up a free kick from the edge of the box and struck the crossbar. The ball ricocheted directly back to her and she was able to get another shot off but it floated high and over the crossbar. 

Sapulpa put the game out of reach when Kelsey Gordon scored on a penalty kick that was just past Banks's fingertips.  

Sand Springs will play their regular-season finale Thursday night in Edmond against Deer Creek (10-3), while Sapulpa will travel to Moore to battle Westmoore.

Kayla Foster returns, scores equalizer in 2-1 OT loss to Westmoore

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Charles Page High School girls’ soccer team (9-3) hosted the Westmoore Lady Jaguars (7-6) for Senior Night Friday night at Memorial Stadium and suffered a 2-1 overtime loss. This marks the first time this season the Lady Sandites have dropped back-to-back games, having lost a 6-1 drag out to Jenks (6-5) on Tuesday.

Westmoore made a close run early on as one of the Lady Jaguars fired off a close shot in the first three minutes that escaped a dive by Sandite keeper Abigail Banks and was left completely unattended with the goal wide open. Breanna Campbell managed to beat the Jags to the ball and clear the box, getting the ball to Kyndal Zicker who made a pair of scoreless runs.

The Lady Sandites nearly scored soon after as Emma Peak volleyed a corner kick by Megan DeShazo that snuck wide. The Jags took the offense from there and Allie Gordon got the visitors on the board in the 8th minute.

Zicker had a good look at the goal in the 12th minute, sending a shot off at the unguarded left side of the net, but snuck it just a tad wide. The rest of the half was uneventful and Westmoore held the 1-0 lead at halftime.

Gordon took another shot just minutes into the second half that traveled wide. Zicker nearly scored the equalizer twelve minutes into the half, netting an offside goal attempt. Westmoore made a few big runs from there, keeping Banks on her toes with the Sandite goalie picking up three nice saves in under five minutes.

Kayla Foster, who hasn’t seen action since sustaining an injury nearly a month ago against Bixby, finally returned to the field to fire off the closest Sandite shot of the game. The ball traveled just a hair wide with 7:20 to go, but Foster got a re-do off a corner kick with 1:29 to play to tie things up and force overtime.

Unfortunately for the Lady Sandites, Brooklyn Fink netted a game-winning penalty kick less than two minutes into the extra period. Sand Springs returns to action next Tuesday in a Highway 97 Rivalry matchup at Sapulpa (5-7), while Westmoore will be taking on Deer Creek (8-3) that night. 

Zicker scores lone goal as Jenks dominates Lady Sandite Soccer 6-1

By: Virgil Noah, Marketing Director
Photo by: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Losing is rare for the Charles Page High School girls soccer team (9-3), and they haven't made a habit of it as they have yet to lose back-to-back games this season. The Jenks High School girls soccer team (6-3) proved to be a very difficult adversary. The three losses for the Lady Trojans were all heart-breakers, each coming by one goal in extra time. 

University of Arkansas-commit Nayeli Perez wasted no time getting Jenks on the board. In the 4th minute, Perez turned on a throw-in and netted a goal past diving Sand Springs keeper Abigail Banks. In the 21' Perez would notch her second goal of the game on a penalty kick, again just past the hands of Banks. The Lady Sandites' usually prolific offense was shut down in the first half, failing to get off a shot on goal.  

Early in the second half the momentum took a brief change in direction though, as Lady Trojan Hannah Roth was presented her second yellow card and Jenks would be forced to play the rest of the match down one player.  

It didn't take long for Sand Springs to capitalize on the advantage. In the 58' Melina Flores passed the ball in to Kyndal Zicker who put the Sandite girls on the board with a left footed goal. Just moments later Megan Deshazo, who scored six goals in her last game, had a chance to equalize the game but her attempt to chip the keeper went wide. 

After Deshazo's miss, momentum swung back in the undermanned Lady Trojans' favor, as Megan Huth and Taylor Pugh scored a pair of goals each and Perez picked up two assists to lock the game up for Jenks. 

The Sand Springs squads return to action with home games Friday evening against Westmoore High School. The girls kick off at 6 pm. and the boys at 8 pm.  

DeShazo dominates Putnam North with 6 goals, Lady Sandites win 9-1

By: Virgil Noah, Marketing Director

The Charles Page High School girls soccer team (9-2) returned home to face Putnam City North High School (4-5) after a tough road loss. The Lady Sandites fell to the Union High School Lady Redskins (9-0) who are ranked #2 in the nation earlier this week, but rebounded with an impressive 9-1 victory over the Lady Panthers, their second highest win this season.

Sand Springs got things rolling quickly, scoring two goals in the first eight minutes en route to a 5-0 lead at the end of the first half. Junior Megan Deshazo got things started in the opening moments off of an assist from Kyndal Zicker. Deshazo scored the next two as well to notch a hat trick less than a quarter of the way into the game, one coming via penalty kick. Zicker got herself on the board after a free kick by Brooklyn Eardley ricocheted directly to her for a wide open shot. The Lady Panther goalie got a hand on it but not enough to stop the strike. Deshazo scored her fourth goal of the game just before the half on a misplay by the Lady Panther defense.  

The second half was nearly as lopsided as the first, though Lady Panther Courtney Tate managed to get her team on the board. Zicker and Eardley both scored for Sand Springs on penalty kicks, and Deshazo scored another two goals to put her total at an incredible six for the match.  

The back line for Charles Page was stifling, allowing just one shot on goal for the entire match. The line consisted of Jae Anthony-Wilson, Bryn Lewis, Emma Peak, and Mckinzie Horton. 

The Charles Page High School boys soccer team (2-9) came home for another tough matchup, this time against Putnam City North High School (7-4). Earlier in the week the Sandites battled hard against nationally ranked Union High School (9-1) but came up short. 

It was another hard fought nail biter for Garland Betts's team, as the match saw the visiting Panthers take an early one goal lead that they would not relinquish. Sand Springs made a number of solid runs downfield but were unable to come up with the equalizer. In the final minute Sandite of the Week Ethan Baxter dribbled deep into the box with a defender draped all over him, but couldn't manage to get the ball off of his cleat and the Sandites fell 1-0.  

Both teams will return to district play on April 12th, in Jenks. The Girls will play at 6 pm and the Boys at 8 pm. The Trojans are 2-4 and the Lady Trojans are 5-3. 

Lady Sandite Soccer wins sixth straight for Edison Tournament Championship

Story and photo by: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Charles Page High School girls soccer team (8-1) isn't showing any signs of slowing down. The ladies have outscored their opponents by a combined 33-4 so far this season, including six shutouts. The Edison Eagles (3-5) fell 2-0 in the championship round of their Green and White Tournament Saturday night. Previously the Sandites defeated Tulsa Memorial (4-4) by 4-0 and Booker T Washington (6-2) by a close 3-2. The Sandites are the only team to defeat the Lady Hornets this season, also defeating them 2-0 earlier this week. 

The Lady Sandites wasted no time in firing off shots as Kyndal Zicker sent one a tad wide less than a minute in. Edison's Alex Hopkins retaliated with a pair of shots in the 14th minute; one snuck a tad wide, and the other was saved by Sandite keeper Abigail Banks.

Zicker drew first blood in the 19th minute, bouncing a shot off of Evann Couch, then set up Kylie Taylor for the two-goal lead just two minutes later.

Brooklyn Eardley made a great low and hard shot in the 22nd minute but Raegan Richins was equally impressive with a diving save. The two teams spend the next several minutes midfield before the Sandites made another offensive push that culminated in Emma Peak sending one wide.

The Eagles returned the ball to Sand Springs's territory a few minutes later and Jade Belauste sent a slow roller towards Banks that she easily scooped up. Zicker set up Breanna Campbell for a header with 8 minutes to go but Richins was ready with the save. 

The second half was a lot slower and had far fewer close calls. Banks saved a close one 19 minutes in, but most of the game was spent midfield. Lauren Tavaglione sent a hard shot into Richins with fourteen minutes left and DeShazo sent one just a hair high with eleven left.

Banks made yet another impressive save with two minutes to play, diving for a penalty kick by Couch, and it would be the last real shot of the game as the girls prevailed 2-0.

The Lady Sandites will return to action Tuesday night at Union who is still undefeated 7-0.