By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Midway through the second half of Wednesday’s non-league matchup, Greece Athena’s Wrianna Hudson gathered steam along the left wing before looking to go opposite side netting. Her shot caromed off the post back in the direction of the freshman. Her second attempt went wide of frame.
The sequence proved to be a speed bump merely slowing Hudson for a brief moment before she returned to stride.
That this didn’t go in doesn’t matter. Wrianna. Hudson. pic.twitter.com/jVA1ceIPoJ
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) October 22, 2020
With one goal already scored on the night, Hudson connected twice more as Athena (3-2-0) snapped a two-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over Aquinas.
“You’re going to miss sometimes,” the 6-foot-2 forward/midfielder said. “I know that you just need to get the next one in. That’s what I try to do.”
74’ Wrianna Hudson wins a ball at midfield. 40 yards later, the freshman goes side netting. (It took one night for my phone to learn how to spell her name). @AthenaHigh GSOC 3-1 pic.twitter.com/3zLWjGRyai
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) October 22, 2020
With the Lady Trojans clinging to a 2-1 edge, Hudson won a ball at midfield and made a 40-yard rush (similar to the one on the previous play). This time she found back of the net.
55’ No decoy this time: Wrianna Hudson gets out in the open field, cuts back and slots it side netting to give @AthenaHigh GSOC a 2-nil advantage. pic.twitter.com/OZCOTMQXGr
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) October 22, 2020
“When I got it, I just heard my teammates say ‘Go! Go!’ So I just rushed to the net. I tried to angle my shot better to the net.”
Less than two minutes later, Hudson provided some insurance when she redirected a Kiera Osier cross. The hat trick was the second of the season for Athena’s leading scorer who has nine tallies thus far.
“She is just extra special,” Athena head coach Jeremiah Bergan said. “Having a player that is 6-foot-2 and can run at teams like that. She is very dangerous. She draws multiple markers on every run.”
Kali Johnson gave Athena an early lead when the junior center back pushed forward during a corner kick and finished her first goal of the year. Hudson ran toward the near post on the play and took three defenders with her. When the ball eluded Hudson’s head, Johnson redirected it for the lead.
3’ With Wrianna Hudson providing the decoy, Kali Johnson nods in the corner kick to get @AthenaHigh GSOC on the scoreboard. Trojans 1-0 pic.twitter.com/LJKx99zOdF
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) October 21, 2020
Athena held off a steady Aquinas attack for the remainder of the half before finding its rhythm after the break.
“The situation was we got a goal on a set piece, play proper defense and then let’s see if we can build on that and find something from there,” Bergan explained. “We talked about what we did really well in the first 15 minutes. We were trying to feed the ball into our attacking mid, so that she could try and turn and look for the gaps in the defense. We got away from that. We were tired.”
With Hudson executing the finishes, Athena’s defense helped change the game’s momentum.
“We’re a team that really wants to move the ball,” Bergan noted. “Second half that started with winning tackles. You got to win a solid tackle and then distribute from there. Those tackles through the midfield allowed us to build up play.”
Chanel Alexander scored the lone Aquinas goal.
Wanda Hudson says
Keep working hard for your team! Love ya!