Abby Reitzel nets 4 goals in Owen victory
Warlassies overpower Mitchell, 8-0
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
April 18, 2024
A combination of stifling team defense and an explosive offensive performance by senior Abby Reitzel, April 17, led Owen to an 8-0 victory over Mitchell in Warhorse Stadium.
The Warlassies finished the contest with a 39-0 shot advantage, holding their opponent scoreless for the third consecutive match.
Owen entered the night 0-2-2 in its previous four contests, following back-to-back scoreless draws against Western Highlands Conference opponents Madison and Draughn. Reitzel needed less than nine minutes to put her team on the scoreboard for the first time since March 27.
The senior netted a pair of goals within the first 13 minutes, while sophomore Nourina Yoosuf extended the lead in the 21st minute. A Mitchell own goal put the Warlassies ahead, 4-0, later in the half, before Reitzel completed the hat trick, beating a defender from around 20 yards out and opening a 5-0 lead at the half.
One of only three seniors to start for the young Owen team, Reitzel needed just over seven minutes in the second half to notch her fourth and final goal of the contest.
“Abby is one of the top two or three players in all of WNC, there’s no question,” Owen head coach Trei Morrison said after the win. “Her ability on the ball and her understanding of the game make her a really special player.”
The Warlassies spread the scoring around to close out the night, as junior Kaylee Alison found the net off an assist from a corner kick by Julie Swann, who netted the eighth goal of the contest in the final minute.
“We have quality seniors and Kaylee is a junior, but this is a team that starts eight sophomore and freshmen,” Morrison said. “We’ve really been working on our mentality throughout the season, and tonight we saw an incredible work rate and movement off the ball from the entire team.”
The effort, he continued, put players in position to take quality shots.
“There are always peaks and valleys when you have a young team, but this group is really coming together at this point in the season,” Morrison said. “They’re really maturing, making quality passes and working away from the ball, so that created solid opportunities for us tonight.”
As young players and talented veterans improve their chemistry on the offensive side of the field, Owen’s defense continues to disrupt opposing attacks.
“We haven’t allowed a goal in the past three matches, but the difference tonight was our ability to score when we had the opportunity,” the coach said. “If we keep playing the way we played tonight, and keep playing the kind of defense we’ve been playing the last few weeks, we have a really good chance of finishing strong in the conference.”
The Warlassies will head to Mountain Heritage at 5 p.m., Monday, April 22, before returning home, Wednesday, April 24, to host the N.C. School of Science and Math.
“I expect for us to come out and surprise a few teams in the next few weeks,” Morrison said. “I was proud of these girls tonight, and I want them to remember how we played, as far as shot creation. We’re on a roll, and I feel like we’re playing exactly the way we need to be playing.”
Photos of Owen’s victory over Mitchell can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.