After a rough 0-3 start to the season, the Putnam County girls’ soccer team has been on a roll as of late. The Lady War Eagles have won six of their last seven, including five straight heading into this week.
Putnam County coach Brandi Barling said her team is just now finding its footing after the rough start. She also added that several key injuries have held her squad back but now everyone is healthy.
“We lost a lot of talent with the seniors that graduated last year, but we’ve had several girls who have stepped up this season,” Barling said. “They’ve decided to take more ownership of what happens on the field. We have a good group of girls who get along and work together. Everybody has played in different positions because of injuries, so they’re willing to do whatever it takes to help their team.”
The Lady War Eagles are indeed putting the ball in the back of the net. They’ve outscored their opponents 47-8 in the last seven matches, including four contests with at least eight goals scored.
Senior Lily Frisch is leading the charge for Putnam County and is the most efficient scorer. Frisch’s ability to put the ball in the back of the net has helped her team win six out of the last seven matches.
However, she’s not the only one who has helped the team out, according to Barling. Fellow seniors Gracie Bird and Elizabeth Haley have also contributed to the Lady War Eagles’ success on the pitch.
“They’re all three seniors and are terrific leaders. They’re willing to play whatever position and do whatever it takes to help the team and get a W,” Barling said. “They’ve been great for us this year.”
Frisch, Bird, and Haley were key in an exciting 4-3 win over Westside-Augusta last week at home. Putnam County knocked off the Lady Patriots in overtime to remain undefeated in region play.
After leading 3-1 at the intermission, Westside fought back and tied the game by the end of regulation.
Two minutes into the overtime period, Bird scored on a free kick from outside the box for the go-ahead goal. The Lady War Eagles’ defense then held on over the next 18 minutes to secure the win.
“It was a good game and test for us because we’ve been winning our region matches by a lot,” Barling said. “We’ve not had much competition, so it was a good opportunity for us to see what we would do when put under some pressure against a team that was trying to also gut out a win. It was great seeing them stay in the game, keeping playing, and that led for us to pull out the win.”
Putnam County enters this week at 6-4 and 6-0 in Region 4-AA play. The Lady War Eagles will face region rival Thomson this week before closing out league play with Josey and Butler next week.
Barling, in her 10th season, is preparing her squad for another postseason run. However, she hopes to lead Putnam County to another region title this year before the Class 2A playoffs start in April.
“We are hoping to stay undefeated in the region,” Barling said. “After spring break, we play Greene County for our last (regular-season) game. We’re hoping that we can keep gelling and working together. That way we’re ready to go straight into the playoffs and go as far as we can go.”