With hopes for another state tournament appearance and a second TSSAA Division II-AA title in three years, the GPS soccer team has wasted no time getting off to an undefeated and lightning-fast start this season, outscoring Notre Dame, Hendersonville and Bearden a combined 13-1.
The Bruisers picked up two of those wins Saturday at home with standout play from senior Ashley Grant, beating Hendersonville 5-0 before topping Bearden 3-1.
Just 20 seconds into the second match, Grant sent a strong cross from the left sideline to Kennedy Ball for a quick score. Grant – who was coming off a hat trick against Hendersonville, with all three of her goals assisted by Ball – scored the final two goals against Bearden. Grant also assisted on Ball’s goal against Hendersonville, with Nyla Blue providing the other score in that match.
Senior goalkeeper Kaedra Thorstensen and back-line player Allie Williams have excelled defensively for the experienced Bruisers.
“We have been able to generate a lot of offense against some really quality teams so far,” GPS coach Patrick Winecoff said. “We have a good amount of continuity from last year, even though we lost Alex Magill and Meg Priest. A lot of girls are in similar positions, and they’ve been clicking even faster than seasons in the past. I am excited for them.”