The Blair High School girls soccer team entered postseason play on a four-match losing streak.
It ended that skid decisively Tuesday during its first game of the Class B-3 Subdistrict Tournament at Krantz Field.
“Every piece was put together,” said junior Brynn Ray after coach Nick Hall's Bears topped the No. 3 seed, Omaha Roncalli, 4-1.
The win propelled BHS (11-4 overall) into the subdistrict final Wednesday against the Bennington Badgers and, ultimately, into Saturday's district final round. Up-to-date results and schedules for both matches can be found online at enterprisepub.com/sports.
Against the Crimson Pride (8-8), though, the Bears got off to a fast start. Ray's first shot 31 seconds into the match missed high, her second during the third minute hit off the football team's field goal posts and her third shot — this one on goal — was saved by the Roncalli goalkeeper shortly thereafter.
The subdistrict match remained scoreless, but Blair was clearly on the offensive as Roncalli scrambled to play defense.
“We were just moving off of the ball,” Ray said. “Our energy was really, really high.”
The Bears' spark to start was notable.
“I don't think it's ever been this high before,” the junior said.
The oomph ultimately led to Ray's goal at the 25-minute mark of the first half. The Pride's Megan Pritza nearly came up with another stop, but the BHS forward was persistent and put the ball through.
“Stepping on the field, we had more communication,” Blair sophomore Claire Anderson said of her team's start. “But energy goes a long way.”
The midfielder added to it and the lead during the 28th minute. Coach Hall calls for the Bears to take their scoring opportunities when they've got them and Anderson had one from outside the box.
“He stresses taking the shots up top and it was open, so I took it,” she said.
Her ball flew over the top of Prtiza and into the net for a 2-0 lead with about 12 minutes still left in the first half. Ray eventually took advantage of that time and scored from right to left past the keeper, too.
The 3-0 Blair lead held steady through halftime before freshman Laynie Brown gave the Bears a four-goal advantage just 17 seconds into the second 40 minutes. Roncalli's Lily Flores later scored her own goal during the 59th minute, but it wasn't near enough as BHS keepers Regan Blattert and Brooklyn Schroeter shared time in the net and the victory.
Ray said it was good win overall.
“It really helped our confidence boost and really helped us for the weekend,” she said.
Winning wasn't necessary for the Bears to reach the district finals round, but Anderson felt it did a lot for BHS as it attempts to earn the program's first state tourney berth since 2001.
“I think it was a really good stepping stone and a good confidence boost going into these next games,” the sophomore explained. “I think it was something we really needed to break our losing streak.”
BHS SOCCER LINE SCORE
Tuesday
Blair 4, Omaha Roncalli 1
RON (8-8) 0 1 — 1
BHS (11-4) 3 1 — 4
Goals: Blair: Brynn Ray 2, Claire Anderson and Laynie Brown. Roncalli: Lily Flores.
