On September 11, girls varsity soccer played against Walkersville, ending with a score of 0-0 after double-overtime.

In what was an early season match of two historically good programs, the game was a contest of two great defensive teams. Throughout the first half, neither team could get their offense going, with minimal shots on goal, and neither team could capitalize on their opportunities.

Both teams came into the second half with an intensity that ignited the defense. Linganore saw an uptick in their offensive game, recording several shots on goal and ending the game with 11 shots total. The Linganore defense held Walkersville to only 2 shots on goal, and Linganore recorded 2 saves on both shots. The majority of opportunities for both teams came near the end of the game, but neither team managed to finish in the net.

In both overtime periods, both Linganore and Walkersville’s aggressiveness become apparent with multiple fouls committed by both teams. Walkersville had possession for most of both overtime periods, but they were unable to score.

Despite ending in a tie after 100 minutes of play, junior captain Taylor Ferguson stayed positive about the team’s performance. “I thought we played good. We just had trouble finishing in the final third, even though we were connecting well. Our defense was good considering they only had a couple of shots on goal. We just need to improve our offense by being more accurate near the goal. “

Linganore comes into this year fresh off a 2018 state championship. Although many key seniors graduated, the team still consists of a young core that was a part of last year’s winning team.  Coach Howard Puterman left to become Athletic Director at Tuscarora High School.  The current coach is former assistant coach Phil Werner.

Ferguson believes that this year’s team could duplicate last year’s results. “I feel like we’ll definitely do good in playoffs because we always do. But at the end of it all, it’s all about peaking at the right time. We definitely have the talent to win another state championship.”

Linganore plays their next game against Frederick at home on Thursday, September 13 at Linganore. The JV starts at 5:30, and the varsity team starts at 7:00.