The constant rains finally stopped as Chattanooga Christian School and Boyd-Buchanan kicked off their girls' soccer game Thursday night.
With clearer skies and a nicely drained turf field, CCS got a 4-0 win on senior night with three goals and an assist from Addie Henry. The Lady Chargers' victory sealed the No. 1 seed for the Division II-A East Region District 2 tournament next week.
CCS got off to a slow start, but the seniors - many of whom have been playing together since sixth grade - used experience and chemistry to get back on track.
"It was a good win for the seniors," CCS coach Cal Sneller said. "They've done a lot for our program and had a tremendous impact. They have almost all played together since middle school. Just three of them came in later. So they get along extremely well."
Senior midfielder Henry used her knack for putting powerful shots on frame to get the Lady Chargers on the board with 21:55 to go in the first half with a long-distance strike. She added another goal just before halftime.
Fellow senior Lillie Cate lobbed a corner kick into the box, where Henry waited and left her feet to put in the header.
With a 2-0 lead at halftime, the Lady Chargers loosened up in the second half and started to possess well, which led to a barrage of shots.
"I think they got off to a slow start because of all the excitement in the air," Sneller said. "It's understandable. There are a lot of emotions, both happy and sad. They moved it a lot better in the second half, and that was without a halftime speech. They know what they're supposed to do."
Henry picked up where she left off, slipping a low shot into the back of the net just past the goalkeeper's fingertips to secure a hat trick. She assisted on Anslee McGlocklin's closing goal, which rattled off the left post and in.
Boyd-Buchanan had several dangerous opportunities to get on the board midway through the second half, but senior keeper Emily Jipping was able to handle the shots on goal, and she finished with four saves. The back line, anchored by Kate Dirkse, handled the rest.
"They wanted to keep the clean sheet," Sneller said. "They take pride in that."
Lady Buccaneers goalkeeper Kaitlyn Pope was kept busy throughout the game but managed to rack up six saves.
Contact Idris Garcia at sports@timesfreepress.com.