Nansemond River’s defense stifles New Kent in non-district affair

New Kent’s Raegan Wade (7) and Nansemond River’s Maria Perkins (4) strategize to control the ball as it floats in the air.

Robb Johnson photo

New Kent’s Lady Trojans bid on the pitch for win number 10 ran into a roadblock Friday night.

The visiting Nansemond River Lady Warriors jumped out to a three-goal lead and never looked back as they defeated New Kent 3-1 in the May 8 non-district contest.

Nansemond River dominated the onset of the contest, scoring moments into the contest for a 1-0 lead. Teammate Mayleen Bernal would punch goal number two on the scoreboard at the 30:27 mark as the Lady Warriors increased their lead. That advantage would last through the halftime break.

Meanwhile, New Kent’s offense remained stagnant throughout most of the contest as the visitors’ defense continuously frustrated them. Meanwhile, Bernal added her second goal of the night with 7:06 remaining in the contest.

The Lady Trojans’ lone bright spot came with two minutes to go, as Gretchen Smith’s kick placed the hosts on the scoreboard. However, time would expire as New Kent dropped the contest.

After the game, New Kent Lady Trojans Head Coach Stella Follett spoke about the contest.

“I am not going to hold on to this loss,” she said, commenting abut the setback. “We have an incredible team that plays their hearts out every game. Not many coaches can say that along with them not giving up.”

New Kent falls to 9-5 on the season.