Girls Soccer: Royal Knights take advantage of shorthanded Cobras

After going nearly a month without earning a point of any sort, Pasco County's top goal scorer Jenny Karl torched rival Hudson for two goals and an assist during River Ridge's 5-1 road win Monday night.

The Royal Knights had plenty of opportunities at the net after a red card to Hudson's Becky Reynolds ejected her in the 21st minute, forcing the Cobras to play a man down for the remainder of the first half and all of the second.

River Ridge took advantage by outshooting Hudson 13-5.

Before Reynolds ejection, though, the match was even at 1-1 and Hudson was hanging in with the 17-2-1 Knights. The Cobras actually took the earlier lead after just six minutes when senior Erica Wills caught a bit of a break. As the co-captain cut across inside the River Ridge box, she unthreateningly poked the ball toward the net with the side of her foot directly at Knights goalkeeper Lisa Jadick. Perhaps because of the day's earlier rains, waterlogged field and slick ball, Jadick lost the handle of a routine roller and the ball bobbled across the goal line.

That was about as lucky as Hudson would get Monday night. Karl and the Knights' offense took over from there. Now with 34 goals and 12 assists, Karl scored her first in the 12th minute, then again with a strong kick in the 26th that gave River Ridge the 2-1 lead, and tallied her assist midway through the second half after sending a brilliant cross directly to the foot of fellow captain Jessica Tata who finished the job.

Rounding out River Ridge's scoring were Sarah Jadick (36th minute, assisted by Savannah Stacy) and Sarah Olin (45th minute, unassisted).

Karl nearly made it a hat trick in the 78th minute with a left-footer just inside the 18, but Hudson keeper Madison Ohling was there to make the last of her five saves.

River Ridge closes out its regular season with two more non-league games, Wednesday vs. Ridgewood and Friday at Gulf, before district tournament time next week.

Hudson will play again tomorrow at Wiregrass Ranch.

BOX SCORE:

River Ridge - 3 - 2 --- 5
Hudson - 1 - 0 --- 1