Glendale capitalized on another early penalty kick against Republic, then held off a late push to secure a 2-1 girls soccer victory on Tuesday.
For the third consecutive match, Republic fell behind on an early penalty kick. Caroline Carr slotted her shot into the right side of the net with 35:51 left in the first half, giving Glendale a 1-0 advantage that would stand through halftime.
Harlow Chambers doubled the Lady Falcons’ lead at nearly the identical time in the second half, scoring with 35:46 remaining to push the margin to 2-0. Republic finally broke through when Cadence Lugar converted a rebound from 15 yards out with just 49 seconds left, but the comeback bid fell short.
Republic’s defense kept the match within reach throughout. Goalkeeper Awbree Berning recorded 11 saves, helping to limit Glendale’s offensive opportunities despite consistent pressure from the Lady Falcons.
The solid defensive effort allowed Republic to stay within striking distance, though Zuniga noted the challenge of falling behind early.
“The biggest thing is we can’t give up those penalty kicks beginning in every game,” he said. “That puts us in a hole early… then the girls battle the whole time.”
Zuniga saw positive developments despite the loss. “I’m glad that we finished strong… We started to trust each other a lot more. The movement was there. We found the passing lanes.”
Republic drops to 0-3 while Glendale improves to 1-0. Zuniga said he knew the opening part of the schedule would prove challenging for his team.
“It’s a three game stretch I knew it was going to be tough. Historically we’ve always struggled in that stretch, and that’s okay. We have the weekend to try to bounce back.”
The Lady Tigers return to action Friday against Monett at the Lady Pirate Classic in Branson.
