By Chuck Reherman
Sports Editor
Yukon will host it’s annual Spring Thaw pre-season soccer tournament today at Miller Stadium.
The field includes eight teams in the day long event on the stadium.
The tournament gets underway at 8:30 a.m. with the Tulsa Bishop Kelley and Northwest Classen boys. Yukon and Carl Albert girls will face off at 9:30 a.m. YHS and Grant boys play at 10:30 a.m.
Putnam City North and Carl Albert girls meet at 11:30 a.m. At 12:30 p.m., Grant and Bishop Kelley boys play and at 1:30 p.m., Yukon and Southmoore girls play. At 2:30 p.m. Yukon and Northwest Classen boys face off.
Carl Albert and Southmoore girls play at 330 p.m. and Northwest Classen and Grant boys aplay at 4:30 p.m.
Yukon and Putnam City North girls play at 5:30 p.m. and Yukon and Kelley boys play at 6:30 p.m. PC North and Southmoore girls wind up the day at 7:30 p.m.
“The Spring Thaw will be another day for learning and getting better,” Miller head coach Neil Hilton said. “Three games in a day is a lot to ask to play at a high level. But we will rotate players and most likely target one game of the three to play a line up that I see most likely lining up when we get to district play.”
Millerette head coach Steve Scott will also be looking to play a lot of players in the Thaw, adding that his team does have a lot of depth.
“We are looking to find out about the girls and who’s ready for day one,” Scott said. “The more games we play in the preseason, the more we try to get closer to the right combination of girls leading up to our first game. That evaluation takes place and then we continue on that from game to the and and opponent to opponent.”
The Millers had opened the pre-season going 1-2 at the Chick Cup in Chickasha.
YHS lost 1-0 to Capitol Hill and to Madill 1-0. The Millers beat
The Miller JV also competed in the Cup and went 1-2. The team beat Elgin 3-2, but lost 5-0 to Chickasha and 1-0 to Duncan.
“The varsity faced some adversity and we got to see how players handled being under pressure and handled different situations,” Hilton said. “I learned a lot about individuals and when things get tough how they react.
“It was nice to end the day on a high with a good win, but ultimately Capitol Hill was our best test and we have to get better to reach the sort of level this year.
“The JV had a great day. The team is made up of many young players and inexperienced players. They competed all day and had a great victory in the opening game and competed in every game.”
The Millerettes went 3-0 in the Chick Cup, rolling past all three opponents.
YHS opened with a 3-0 win over Elgin. Ashlynn Williams scored two of the goals at the 22nd and 25th minute. Maddie Phillips added a goal at the 41st minute.
The Millerettes posted a 3-0 win over Southmoore’s JV, scoring all three goals in the first half.
Williams put the first goal in net in the 13th minute. Peyton Brenneis added a goal at the 19th minute and Zoe Wilson scored in the 23rd minute.
The Millerettes finished the day with a 9-0 win over Lawton MacArthur, scoring four times in the first half.
After Lawton Mac scored an own goal, Ashley Baker gave YHS a 2-0 lead in the 16th minute.
Jade Langoc scored back-to-back goals in the 22nd and 25th minutes to open a 4-0 lead.
Brenneis scored the first goal of the second half in the 44th minute, Abby Love added a goal in the 56th minute and Williams added two goals in the 50th and 57th minute. Brooke Barber finished the scoring with a goal in the 61st minute.
“For the first time out and getting to play someione else, it was good,” Scott said. “It was a better response to how we played together..
“It has come together quicker,” he added. “A quicker start than other years. The Thaw will have us step up in level and look to continue to challenge ourselves.
“We started different groups each game and played everyone. We have lots of talent that gives us lots of options.”
