Lincoln girls soccer blanked by Helmers, Sayre
Published 4:41 pm Thursday, September 8, 2016
STANFORD — The Lincoln County girls’ soccer team was shut out for the first time this season, with the high offensive attack by visiting Sayre too much as the Lady Patriots fell 5-0 Thursday at LCHS.
Laney Helmers had a “hat trick” and then some for the Lady Spartans, punching in four of her team’s five goals as Sayre improved to 5-2-1.
Helmers and her Lady Spartan teammates did control the ball at times against the Lady Patriots, but Lincoln (2-2-1) had its opportunities to score in the game, getting 16 shots on goal. Sayre had 23 shots on goal.
It was a defensive standoff between the two teams for most of the first half. Helmers broke the tie, though, with 9:49 left in the first period to give the Lady Spartans the goal they needed for the win.
The Sayre lead was at 2-0 at the break, with Helmers notching her second goal just two minutes after her opener. On both goals, the senior midfielder dribbled to the right of goal then delivered a cross kick into the back left corner.
Helmers was back in goal just three minutes into the second half, with her shot on goal richocheting off the right sidebar and back into the net behind Lincoln goalkeeper Lydia Rice.
Helmers was not alone in the game scoring. Teammate Ellie Alford, also a senior, pushed in a shot past Rice midway through the second half to extend the Sayre lead to 4-0.
The Lady Spartans put their final goal on the scoreboard with just 4:17 to play with Helmers capping off her night with a breakaway goal.
Rice and Lady Spartan goalkeeper Dee Dee Wheeler both had eight saves in the game.
The Lady Patriots will be looking to get back in the win column Monday night as they play host to 45th District rival Garrard County at 6 p.m. The Golden Lions are currently 3-4.