Warlassies overpower Cougars at home
Owen collects second straight victory in 5-1 effort against Mountain Heritage
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
March 31, 2025
The Warlassies captured their second straight victory, March 31, unleashing an offensive arsenal in a Western Highlands Conference match against Mountain Heritage.
Five players scored goals for Owen, which improved to 4-3-1 with the victory.
The Warlassies, who entered the home contest following a 5-1 victory on the road against Avery, March 26, netted a trio of goals in the first half against Mountain Heritage, which fell to 2-5-2 in the loss. They added a pair in the second half on their way to another 5-1 win.
While Owen was in control through much of the contest, the Cougars were on the scoreboard first with a goal in the 7th minute. Sophomore Lily Berry evened the score for the Warlassies minutes later, scoring her 6th goal of the season, while freshman Willow Glenn Stewart put her team ahead with 21:03 left in the half.
With her 6th goal of the campaign, freshman Carlee Grace Stewart gave Owen a 3-1 advantage going into the break.
Junior Ace Drake and sophomore Julia Swann each recorded their first goal of the season in the second half, as the Warlassies notched consecutive wins for the second time this season. Head coach Trei Morrison credited his team’s high-pressure defensive effort for the victory.
“We wanted to come out here and put immediate pressure on their backs when we lost the ball,” he said. “Our second goal, by Willow, was a direct result of that.”
That approach, he added, allowed the Warlassies to avenge a 3-3 tie against the Cougars in Burnsville two weeks ago.
“Coming into tonight, we felt like if we had done a better with that up there, we wouldn’t have been in the position we were in,” Morrison said. “Also, we didn’t feel like we had to make a bunch of passes to get going, so we were a little more straight-forward with our attack.”
The young roster’s combination of speed and versatility have allowed the team to adapt to a series of injuries, according to the coach.
“We have Lily and Carlee Grace, who both have great speed,” he said. “Kaylee Allison did a great job for us, dropping back and playing in the midfield, and pulling the strings a little bit.”
Allison, one of four seniors on the roster and the leading goal scorer for Owen, solidified a rotation depleted by injuries and suspensions. As the Warlassies adjust to new roles, players are maturing quickly, according to Morrison.
“They’re gaining confidence and understanding what we want to do,” he said. “They’re allowing me the opportunity to see them and tweak things. They’re responding to what I tell them, and that’s all you can really ask from your players.”
The team’s offensive performance in the last two games comes as Owen prepares to host Madison at 6 p.m., Wednesday, April 2. The match features a pair of programs with matching 3-1-1 marks in the WHC.
“They’ll play physical and we need to try to match that and play smart,” Morrison said. “We want to be very skillful and intelligent, but we also want to work harder than any opponent. Madison tries to bring that same game plan, so it will be a challenging match.”
Photos of the Warlassies 5-1 victory over Mountain Heritage can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.