Midfield masterclass gives Trojans edge over Bulldogs

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Freshman midfielder Dory Georges headlined a clinical performance from the Morristown midfield on their way to a 3-0 victory over Claiborne on Thursday night.

Georges racked up two goals and an assist in her fourth game for the Lady Trojans, helping them improve to 2-2 on the year.

The Lady Trojans dictated possession from box-to-box, thanks in large part to Georges and senior Isamenia Munoz’s ability to constantly win challenges, find the ball and push it forward from the midfield.

“Midfield was really important for us,” West head coach Emily Bryant said following the win. “I mean obviously, they’re going 45-50-60-yard sprints every time down the field. There’s both defensive and offensive responsibilities, and I think they did a really good job of controlling the ball, and we did a really good job as a team of possessing it. Trying to control, that’s something we’ve been building on. Control the ball, take a touch, find feet.”

West didn’t waste any time attacking the goal. Rylee Hurst got a shot on goal in the fifth minute, after an open look at the goal was called back for offsides was called back just moments before.

The Lady Trojans earned their first corner of the night, taken by Georges, that nearly sparked a goal in the ninth minute. It was the first of many near-successful set pieces via a cross from Georges.

“Dory is definitely a freshman with a lot of talent for us, a lot of potential, she’s extremely versatile,” Bryant said. “Any kind of coach loves to have a kid like that who just works hard, and she’s just like an energizer bunny. She just goes, goes and goes, so kudos to her for putting two in the net.”

Claiborne nearly got a chance at goal in the twelfth minute, only to be thwarted by Banesa Hernandez.

Hernandez, along with Iris Velasquez, Ashli Diaz and Natalie Nelson, comprised a reliable backline for West. They stifled every potential opportunity Claiborne created on the evening.

In the 23rd minute, the Lady Trojans finally broke through, as Georges turned a counter into her first goal of the evening.

Brooklyn Widner produced a shot on goal in the 24th, and Anayshka Pabonin the 27th; West also nearly broke through off another Georges cross in the 30th to the near post.

Play slowed as players settled in, but The Lady Trojans remained in control into the half.

And they kept it coming out.

Allie Swann hit the far post as she nearly scored in the 47th minute for West, with Munoz nearly scoring off the near post just moments later.

Karyme Munoz had a pair of saves for the Lady Trojans in the 52nd and 58th minutes, and Velasquez made a clutch tackle and clearance in the 63rd as the Bulldogs attempted to fight their way back.

Hurst and Ismenia Munoz each had chances at goal in the fourth, but West was struggling to break through.

That is, until Georges took the ball up the right wing and crossed it to the near post, where Widner booted it in to put them up 2-0.

Georges put her team on the board for the final time in the 77th, as she struck the ball in from the top of the box, giving West the 3-0 victory.

“It feels really good, we use pre-season to build and learn, we have a lot of new faces and a lot of old faces, so we’re trying to figure out how we mesh,” Bryant said. “So hopefully we can build off tonight and going into next week it can be the confidence booster that we needed.”

The win for West was a bounce-back from their 6-0 loss to Knox Central on Tuesday. It continued the trend of loss-win-loss-win that the Lady Trojans have been stuck in.

They’ll look to buck it next Thursday as they host Elizabethton.

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