Polk Middle girls show resolve in win at Hendersonville Middle

Stephanie Luedi has been impressed with the resolve of her current Polk County Middle girls soccer team.

Matches such as Tuesday show why.

A day after a 5-2 home loss to Hendersonville Middle, the Wolverines traveled to Hendersonville and exacted a measure of revenge, defeating the Bearcats 2-1 in overtime in Blue Ridge Conference action.

Polk Middle (3-2) grabbed an early 1-0 lead in Tuesday’s match on a Charley Dusenbury goal. Leah Dotson’s corner kick traveled to Grace Settles, who controlled the kick and directed it to Dusenbury for the tally.

Wolverine goalkeeper Cate Brown – “She came out very strong and was very confident in her goalkeeping throughout the game,” Luedi said – and the Polk Middle defense kept Hendersonville off the scoreboard into the second half, when the Bearcats finally managed the equalizer. The score remained tied at 1-1 at the end of regulation.

Neither team scored in the first overtime, but the Wolverines finally struck in the second five-minute period. Carroll flipped a throw-in to Dotson, who fought off Hendersonville defenders and found the back of the net with about a minute remaining.

The win, Luedi said, typified the squad’s makeup and progress this season.

“We have seen real growth in individual players and as a team,” she said. “Every game we are more and more impressed with how well we are working together.

“We showed real grit and determination (at Hendersonville) to get the win.”

Carroll and Charley Dusenbury each scored in Monday’s loss to Hendersonville.

Polk Middle is slated to be back in action on Thursday, traveling to Brevard Middle.

2022 Polk Middle girls soccer squad
Gabby Savaia
Hurley Bell
Cate Brown
Charley Dusenbury
Leah Dotson
Adalyn Pena
Lilly Broach
Grace Settles
Reeve Carroll
Jillian Brown
Khloe Kitchen
Molly Justice
Heaven Villarreal
Taylor Deel
Raney Tallon
Haven Wilkins
Ivey Moore