Conaway twins lift Lakewood girls soccer to persevering victory against Alexander
HEBRON — Claire Conaway took a ball to the face on with less than 15 minutes left Saturday, but the senior was not going to let her young Lakewood girls soccer teammates down.
After a short mandated time on the sideline, Conaway was back on the field. The leader of the Lancers’ defense helped them preserve a 2-1 confidence-building victory against visiting Alexander (2-2) at Calhoun Memorial Field.
“It’s like muscle memory, I guess,” Conaway said. “We don’t want to win and then just give up on the next game. We just want to keep getting better from here.”
Claire’s twin sister, Ellie Conaway, scored both goals for Lakewood (1-4) in the first half. The first quickly tied the match 10 minutes into it, and the second with 8:42 left stood up throughout the final 40 minutes.
Senior Abigail Hanson has found a home at goalkeeper after injuries slowed her ability to play in the field. She was aggressive, chasing loose balls, and she had a key point-blank save in the second half.
“We just have to support (Hanson) a lot and keep in line. They got offsides a lot, so we wanted to stay together as one,” said Claire Conaway, who had help in the back from juniors Allie Taylor, Kennedy Helser and Olivia Bukalski, sophomore Abrielle Baker and freshman. Standout sophomore Jaylie Maas also rotated to the back late in each half to lend a hand.
“We wanted to slow down the ball (during the last 15 minutes). Pass together, be together.”
Lakewood coach Tony Diaz took a back seat most of the match, allowing assistants Sheylee Watts, Bryen Diaz, his grandson, and injured junior Maggie Taylor to take the reins. The Lancers frequently rotated players in hopes of combating the temperature that rose to near 90 degrees in the mid-afternoon sun, and they pushed the right buttons.
“I let (Watts) coach the first half, and I let (Bryen Diaz) coach the second half. I just sat back and threw a few things out there,” Tony Diaz said. “That’s the only way they get experience. The girls are just continuing to improve. It’s a work in progress.”
It was all hands on deck for Lakewood. Freshman Sophia Curry battled through an injury for short segments on the field, and sophomore Josie Lynch jumped into the midfield during the final 15 minutes after playing next door for the Lancers’ volleyball team.
The Lancers jump back into Licking County League play Wednesday when they visit Licking Valley. On Saturday, a young team got validation for the work it has done so far.
“We had a lot of talking and worked together even though it was super hot out. We just have to find those connections,” Ellie Conaway said. “This lets us know it’s possible. We are going to have a lot more games like this.”
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Conaway twins lift Lakewood girls soccer to victory against Alexander
