UCS girls poised, ready
The senior-heavy Unity Christian soccer team looks to capture a second state championship.
The senior-heavy Unity Christian soccer team looks to capture a second state championship.
There is something different about this year’s Unity Christian girls’ soccer team. Even as the Lady Lions prepare to defend their GICAA Division II-A state title, coach Stephanie Masters can feel it.
It’s nearly the same roster on the field, and they’ll face the same opponent in the title game as they did last season, but this year’s team has confidence. Not the type of confidence that can lead to mistakes, but one that’s developed through senior leadership.
Unity Christian (9-2) matches up with Westminster Christian Academy in the 2017 state championship game today at 3:30 p.m. at the University of West Georgia’s University Stadium in Carrollton. And while the team
may be a little different, Masters hopes for the same result as last year.
“There is an element of confidence, but I’m careful to say that,” Masters said. “Last season we just weren’t sure how successful we would be. This year we have that extra bit of confidence
that gives us the extra boost we need to make those executions.”
More than one third of the Unity Christian roster are seniors, and many of them were key contributors to the title run last season. Hannah Eddins scored the game-winning goal in the second overtime of the state title game last season as a junior.
Eddins, who recently signed to play for Berry College after graduation, has seven goals for the season and is tied for first with eight assists. Fellow senior Amanda Okubo has four goals and eight assists. Most amazing might be eighth-grader Maggie Eddins, who leads the team with 15 goals.
Skill players like Eddins and junior goalkeeper Chanceley Book have looked up to the upper classmen for guidance as the season has gone along. It’s created a team with immense chemistry with the potential to score in bunches.
“There is definitely a form of top-down leadership that is happening here,” Masters said. “There are girls who have been playing under Unity Christian for four or six years who are some of our best players. They lead with humility and compassion.”
The Lady Lions displayed plenty of talent on Monday when they beat Trinity Christian School-Opelika 4-0 in LaGrange.
According to Masters, the team was able to wear down its opponents after only leading 1-0 at halftime.
Masters said the win was their best game of the season, with four goals coming from four different players. It was also the eighth shutout of the season for Book and the fifth in the past six matches.
“I don’t think we had any mistakes on defense, once we got in our groove we just executed,” Masters said. “One thing we said was if we played like that in every game this season, we would’ve gone undefeated.”
Masters admitted she does not know much about Westminster (6-4) beyond how tough the team was to play last season. The team from Watkinsville has certainly been on a roll, recording wins of 5-2 and 7-0 through the playoff so far.
When Unity Christian finally gets to the field at West Georgia today, Masters does not intend to make any kind of long speech. Her team full of seniors knows everything at stake, and they already have the desire to bring back another title.
“With the confidence we have in our game, coming off playing our best game of the year, and the way that we have risen to every challenge this season, that’s enough motivation itself,” Masters said. “The girls are excited, and we have a fun day planned for Friday.”