Girls' SoccerTENNESSEE 8, GEORGIA 0Halftime score: 3-0.Goals: Kathryn Healy 2, Ashley Johnson 2, Alex Cannon, Nicole McKinney, Mollie Meneley, Jenna Stewart.Shots: Tennessee, 18-2.Saves: Patrick Urey 10 (G); Christian Wright 2 (T).Boys' SoccerTENNESSEE 1, GEORGIA 0Halftime score: 1-0.Goal: Alureano Gonzalez.Shots: Georgia, 6-5.Saves: Adam Ryan 6 (T); Tony Olvera 4 (G).
If it looked like the Georgia girls' all-star soccer team was defenseless Saturday in their game against the Tennessee All-Stars, it's because they were.
Only seven players showed up for Georgia and the Tennessee team took full advantage of some wide gaps and went on to claim a fairly easy 8-0 win at Finley Stadium. Tennessee now leads the all-star series 4-1-1.
In the boys' game, recent Sweetwater graduate Alureano Gonzalez scored in the third minute and the Tennessee All-Stars defeated Georgia in a rain-shortened game, 1-0.
Southeast Whitfield girls' coach Kevin Ketterling knew his team was going to be in for a tough go when he realized the numbers that he would be dealing with.
"There were some high school coaches that we just couldn't get excited about their players playing in an all-star game," he said. "You also had some seniors that were gone, but there was just so much time from the end of school to today."
Georgia was left with seven players - Southeast's Kristabelle Rangel, Lauren Long, Azarely Carrillo and Maria Ortiz; LaFayette's Emily White and Ashley Eady and Ridgeland's Kierra Coln. All were named player of the game for Georgia.
Patrick Urey and Christian Wright, ballrunners for the Chattanooga FC United soccer team, played goalkeeper - Urey for Georgia and Wright for Tennessee. Urey had 10 saves for Georgia, while Wright stopped both Georgia shots on goal.
McMinn Central's Ashley Johnson, a Bryan College signee, had two goals and was named Tennessee Player of the Game. Notre Dame's Kathryn Healy, who will play at Lee University, equaled Johnson's scoring output and was the game's Most Valuable Player.
"It was a bummer that they didn't have a full team, but we still wanted to play our game," Healy said. "With so few players, we had to play smarter and figure out how to get around them. We had a lot of trouble with offsides, but that was a lesson we had to play out."
GPS's Nicole McKinney, who will play at Lincoln Memorial University; Baylor's Alex Cannon; Ooltewah's Mollie Meneley; and Cleveland's Jenna Stewart had the other goals for Tennessee.
"We had a couple players not show up, but I still felt like we ended up with a decent team," Notre Dame's Jim Schermerhorn, the Tennessee coach, said. "I thought that our girls were going to be ready to play even if they had a full team."
In the second game, Gonzalez' shot glanced off the left post and slid past Dalton keeper Tony Olvera for the match's only score. Gonzalez was named Tennessee Player of the Game for his efforts, while Southeast Whitfield's Noel Pimentel received the honor for Georgia.
Former Chattanooga Christian standout Adam Ryan saved all six Georgia shots on goal on his way to match Most Valuable Player honors. The game was halted with 24 minutes to play, and Tennessee now leads the series 5-1-1.
"I just wish we had the opportunity to finish the contest," Georgia coach Jamison Griffin of Southeast Whitfield said.