Lady Canes blank Hiram, 8-0
March 20, 2024
Alex Farmer via CanesAthletics.com
Although this season’s edition of Lady Canes Soccer has only two seniors, their contributions have been difficult to overstate both on the field and in their leadership of the team.
Maci Nicklas and Hattie Beth Williams will play next year at Truett-McConnell University and Reinhardt University, respectively. Williams has 17 goals and routinely sets up scoring attempts for younger teammates – most notably her sister Annabelle, who has 21 goals.
Nicklas has 4 goals, but her dominance in the midfield has been crucial for the Lady Canes this season. Each game she establishes herself as the iron door through which every opposing attack has to face. At the same time, she has mentored a team predominately of sophomores and freshmen into contention for their first region championship in 17 years.
In the 27th minute of the first half, Nicklas put CHS up 3-0 with a belter of a finish over the defense and across the goal into the left side of the net.
Nicklas’ teammates rallied behind her to close out the half. Elizabeth Villela started by following up Hattie Williams’ shot that clanged off the left upright. Three minutes later Williams took a pass from her sister and rounded the advancing goalkeeper before finishing into the open net for a 5-0 lead.
Annabelle Williams scored the Lady Canes’ first two goals, the first off an assist from her sister and the second from the left of the box. In the second half, Williams pushed the lead to 6-0 after driving through the middle of the Hiram defense and finishing to the right of the keeper to complete her fourth hat-trick of the season.
About 90 seconds later, freshman Melanie Villela got her first varsity goal after finishing a corner kick from Hattie Williams. Kiley McMichael ended the scoring with a first-time finish off a cross from Annabelle Williams into the lower left corner with seven minutes to play.
Hattie Williams left the game midway through the second half with an ankle injury but is expected to play against Cass on Friday.
“They’ve both really set the example and are role models for us,” said sophomore midfielder Lundyn Eubanks of the team’s two seniors. “They show us how to focus and when they notice us slacking off, they get us back on track.”
With their loss, Hiram fell to 3-9 overall and 1-2 in region action.
The Lady Canes (7-5, 3-0) finish up their region schedule with the upcoming match against Cass before next Tuesday’s home showdown with Dalton. Both games kick off at 5:30.
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