Steers hang on for 2-1 win over Springtown

The Graham Steers came out firing when they took on the Springtown Porcupines in the final non-district contest of the regular season Monday, Jan. 29. That quick, aggressive attack paid off as the visiting Steers held on for a 2-1 win over the home-team Porcupines.

As Graham wraps up their non-district schedule, the team has been fighting to get back to full strength while simultaneously preparing for the rigors of the district schedule. This matchup with Springtown provided yet another opportunity for the Steers to accomplish both those goals and they succeeded.

The Steers wanted to come out and take control in the opening minutes and their offensive play style demonstrated that. Not more than 30 seconds into the game Graham already had their first shot on goal from sophomore Jace Gill.
Throughout the first 10 minutes of the game, the Steers controlled the ball most of the time and took a few more shots at the goal but couldn’t quite connect on any of them.

While it seemed like Graham was forcing Springtown to play on their heels, the Porcupines were the first team to break through. Although they didn’t hold onto the ball for very long, Springtown scored the game’s first goal a little more than 13 minutes into it.

“We really reverted to our old ways defensively and just watched a guy dribble across the face of the goal and shoot and beat us,” head coach Tim Wankowicz said. “Hopefully, it was a reminder that ‘Hey, we can't do that anymore.’ Because they're going to make us pay as we go into the district.”

It was a defensive lapse for the team in an otherwise strong performance overall. And with plenty of time left in the game, the Steers were confident in their ability to pull things back.

About four minutes later, Gill evened the game up with a rocket shot into the net from 26 yards out. After Graham earned a free kick, the ball ricocheted around before falling to Gill who hit the shot with his left foot from the center of the field into the upper right corner of the goal. And just like that, the Steers were back in the game with a 1-1 score.

It wasn’t until less than four minutes remained in the first half that Graham got things cooking again. With how much time their offense spent on Springtown’s side of the field, the Steers earned themselves a free kick after a Porcupine penalty.

Junior Easton Hedge lined up to take the shot from about 19 yards out. He rocketed a shot towards the goal that Springtown’s keeper got a hand on, but it wasn’t enough to stop its trajectory as the shot went past him for the Steers’ second goal of the match.

The teams went into halftime with the same score of Graham leading 2-1. Heading into the second half, Springtown played more aggressive and possessed the ball a bit more than they had done in the first half.

Throughout the second half, the Steers had multiple more chances to extend their lead but couldn’t quite get the timing right with their passes leading to shots. The ball still spent a majority of the time on Springtown’s side of the field but never in the net.

It didn’t matter, though, as Graham’s defense stayed strong in the final 40 minutes and only allowed a few Springtown opportunities the rest of the game. As the final whistle blew, the Steers had earned the 2-1 win.

“I was pleased with (our second half performance) overall,” Wankowicz said. “I think we had opportunities to score; I felt like we were rushing our shots way too much. And that happens when you’ve got a lead and you know that you can beat the team you’re playing. You kind of get anxious and try to force things too much instead of playing your game and holding steady.”

But whatever the score, a win is a win and the Steers will look to take that momentum into their district-opening matchup at 5:30 p.m. Monday Feb. 5 at home against Mineral Wells.