NATCHEZ &045; Loyd Star may be in just its first season of high school soccer, but Saturday afternoon the Hornets and for a while the Lady Hornets gave Cathedral’s teams all they could handle.

Lady Green Wave 3, Lady Hornets 0

Cathedrals’ varsity girls team won its third game in a row, perhaps a team record, but the score could have been a lot more lopsided than it was.

Especially considering that the Lady Green Wave (3-4) had 33 shots on goal to just one for the Lady Hornets for the game.

But coach Christine Krupa said she wasn’t concerned about how her team would come out to play after last night’s 3-2 overtime district win over Franklin County.

&uot;Today we were just ready to play again,&uot; Krupa said.

After Brittany Laird scored her third goal of the season &045; which now is three in two games &045; in the fifth minute to give the Lady Green Wave a 1-0 lead, it appeared that the home team was on its way to an easy victory over the winless Lady Hornets.

Laird scored when her loose ball kick went just past Lady Hornet starting goalkeeper Haley Sones.

But Loyd Star (0-7) changed its defense and had seven or eight in the box to keep the game close.

Defenders Maggi Sellers, daughter of coach Stuart Sellers, and Darla Haire continuously kept the Lady Green Wave from getting any shots on goal for much of the rest of the first half.

&uot;Their defense had a way to block out shots,&uot; Krupa said. &uot;I told them to take shots from way back. The fact that we were on their side of the field gave them some confidence.&uot;

Alana Malone made it 2-0 Cathedral when her shot on goal bounced off Sones, who nearly made an outstanding diving save, and into the net.

Kate Ellard capped off the scoring on a breakaway goal in the 27th minute of the second half.

Coach Sellers was impressed not only the Lady Green Wave, but also of Sones at goalkeeper.

&uot;Cathedral just put it on us,&uot; Sellers said. &uot;They moved the ball well. When they got the opportunities, they scored on us.

&uot;Sones’s playing great. She’s kept us in every game. We only have two girls who have ever played soccer.&uot;

Unfortunately, after Sones was replaced at goalkeeper and went to play midfield, she injured her left ankle at the 3:00 mark of the second half and missed the rest of the game.

On the other hand, Cathedral goalkeeper Lori Scruggs and the Lady Green Wave pretty much had the day off.

&uot;It gave our offense a chance to have some more scoring opportunities,&uot; Krupa said. &uot;They’re working as hard as the offense.&uot;

Green Wave 1, Hornets 1

The Hornets’ offense put the pressure on the Green Wave defense and goalkeeper Thomas Ater surprisingly early and often, while the Green Wave offense at times looked lethargic.

Loyd Star (2-4-1) had a chance to take the lead at the 39:00 mark of the first half, but Ater made a great save of a shot on goal by Nicholas James.

The Hornets eventually took a 1-0 lead when Trevor Portrey scored when his kick went over Ater, bounced off the bottom of the crossbar and into the net at the 26:00 mark of the first half.

But just two minutes later, Hornet defender Joey Ratcliff broke the toe next to the big toe on his right foot and had to be taken to a local hospital for observation.

Loyd Star’s defense, led by midfielders Chris Martinez and Brett Hart and goalkeeper Brent Fielder, kept Cathedral scoreless for the rest of the first half.

&uot;I thought their defense was good,&uot; Green Wave coach Rick Freeman said. &uot;They shut us down. They made the stops when they had to. I can’t say enough about them.&uot;

Cathedral (4-1-1) finally made it a 1-1 game when Nicholas Anderson passed across the middle to Andy Taunton, whose header went in the goal just before being saved by a Hornet defender at the 33:00 mark of the second half.

&uot;Sometimes that’s what it takes,&uot; Freeman said.

Ater made several key saves to preserve the tie, the Green Wave’s second of the season.

&uot;My team played well, but they could’ve played a lot better,&uot; Freeman said. &uot;We had many, many opportunities. The touches were off. The bounces didn’t go for us.&uot;

Sellers, on the other hand, was thrilled to see the Hornets leave D’Evereaux Stadium with the tie.

&uot;I’m just excited about it,&uot; Sellers said. &uot;Cathedral had a lot of shots. They just weren’t going in.&uot;