CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Kenwood Knights soccer team traveled across the river for a matchup with the Indians at Montgomery Central High School on Thursday for their Senior Night. The Indians broke through Kenwood’s tough defense late in both the first and second half for a 2-0 victory.

After a beautiful rendition of the national anthem by Indians starting goalie Jacey Morris, the two teams were in a chippy, physical battle for most of the first half. Montgomery Central dominated ball possession, but couldn’t break through, until Isabella Rivera tucked a goal in the top right corner in the 39th minute to break the stalemate.

“We have a young core in the front, and it was a little hard to transition off of,” said Indians head coach Lydia Sleigh. “We had our leaders step up, and what we worked on in practice showed up, and that’s what led to those goals. It was very exciting to see those goals, and very well deserved.”

The second half was the same story, but a little more physical, with a few yellow cards handed out, and even a few parent warnings for yelling at refs. Just when Kenwood looked like they could tie it up, Central’s Aaliyah Kingsbury snuck one past the goalie in the bottom left of the net to ice a 2-0 win for the Indians.

Despite the result, Knights head coach Joanna VanBelkum was proud of her team’s performance.

“I love our defense, they played their hearts out tonight, we just need to work on our speed of play,” said VanBelkum. “If you look at our past few years, this is a completely different Kenwood team. What I see in this field is a different culture, and I’m proud of the way they represent this school.”

As for Central, the win sends their seniors out with a bang. Sleigh said she hopes it can propel her team forward, with a lot of soccer left to be played.

“Kenwood gave us some great competition, and I’m glad we came out on top,” said Sleigh. “I want the girls to feel good about what happened today, and keep that momentum going into the next few games.”

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