Fisher paces 7-0 rout

Signal Mountain soccer coach Pam Shelton encouraged her team to get off to a fast start against Ooltewah on Tuesday.

The Lady Eagles had the speed to do it.

Lila Fisher scored four goals as Signal cruised to a 7-0 victory over the hosts at James N. Monroe Stadium. The Lady Eagles led 6-0 by halftime.

They continually put large numbers into the attack, creating a mass number of opportunities against the outmanned Lady Owls defense. The onslaught started from the first whistle, as Becca Blevins fired a shot saved by Ooltewah keeper Katie Rose in the early moments.

“Overall, I think we played well,” Shelton said. “I think we’re starting to hit our rhythm. We still haven’t had that significant test yet, but we’re ready for it.”

The Lady Eagles will get that chance as they face Soddy-Daisy and District 7-A/AA rival Notre Dame in their next two contests. Shelton said getting out to a quick start Tuesday was imperative for the team.

“Last year we tied them,” she noted. “The girls asked me about them, and I just told them they were another opponent — a quality opponent. We needed to start fast. The girls have a habit of starting slow, but we got off to a great start and kept going with it.”

Fisher netted three of her four goals in the first half and added an assist, while Rebecca Haskins, Blevins and Kaitlin Robinson also scored. Fisher added her final goal in the second half on an assist by Jocelyn Smith.

Ooltewah’s problems started from the very beginning, as injuries have forced coach Rick Adolph to tinker with his lineup and move players around. A first-half injury to Rose forced freshman forward/midfielder Holly Hall into action in goal, although the starting keeper was able to return in the second half.

To compound problems, sophomore forward Kaitlin Kennedy earned a red card by receiving yellow cards in both halves. She will have to miss the Lady Owls’ District 5-AAA contest Thursday against Cleveland.

“The girls did come out in the second half and play better,” Adolph said. “I told them to work hard on their position and not to worry about the big picture. Signal Mountain is fast and plays very fast. They exposed us in places we were young tonight, but the girls never gave up.

“I tell the girls that every time they step onto the field to continue to improve, and I believe we will continue to get better.”