The Lady Tigers soccer season has come to an end. Last Friday, the team played host to the North Oconee Lady Titans at Tiger Stadium. Despite a close first half, Dawson lost the game 3-0. The loss put an end to the team’s state playoff hopes.

North Oconee got on the board first. A deflected shot off Lady Tiger goalie Lindsey Vinson was rebounded by a Lady Titan. The North Oconee offensive player volleyed the ball into the back of the net to give them a 1-0 lead at the 19:46 mark.

“I thought we played well in the first half,” Head Coach Rick Corwin said. “Lindsey (Vinson) dropped the ball, which is uncharacteristic for her. We didn’t do a good job of getting back on defense.”

Vinson has been battling a knee injury for the last couple of weeks. It was unsure whether she would play in the state playoff game. The decision to play was not made until the day before the big match-up with North Oconee.

At halftime Dawson trailed 1-0.

The Lady Tiger defense was once again up to task and stopped many offensive penetrations by North Oconee.

“We told them at halftime that the game was here for the taking,” Corwin said. “We felt we were still in the game and all it would take is a couple of chances for us to get right back in it.”

North Oconee put a second goal up early in the second half, and smashed any chance for a Dawson comeback.

A Lady Titan forward hit a ball just past the outstretched hands of Vinson into the Dawson net. The Lady Tigers found themselves down 2-0 with 37:12 seconds left in the half.

It looked as if the life went out of the Dawson players after the second goal.

“Our posture changed after the second goal,” Corwin said. “We have been struggling to score all year and a 2-0 deficit would be hard for us to make up.”

The Lady Tigers scored only 14 goals all season. Last year, Dawson scored 41 goals with basically the same offensive weapons.

The Lady Titans added a third goal seven minutes later.

It was the dagger that broke Dawson County. After the third goal Corwin removed his seniors to give them a curtain call and got some of his younger players into a state playoff game.

Dawson will lose eight seniors from this year’s team. Gone are captains Vinson, Chelsea Terrell and Sara Kate Parris. Also graduating will be Caitlyn Carr, Elizabeth Byard, Sydney Cox, Vanessa Stowers and Yoselin Giron.

“We will truly miss Vinson. She (Vinson) has been a rock through our area games giving up only one goal on a penalty kick. Chelsea (Terrell) has shown a lot of leadership from her midfield position. Sydney (Cox) has been strong all year on defense. It will be sad to see all our seniors leave our program,” Corwin said.

“Next season our goal is to advance in the state tournament. I would like for more of our players to attend camp and participate in club ball this fall,” he added.