Coyotes drop second straight match
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
Madera’s Penelopi Leach goes low to keep possession during Wednesday’s loss to the Bullard Knights.
The Madera Coyotes girls soccer team suffered its second consecutive loss in league, losing 4-0 at home against the Bullard-Fresno Knights.
The Knights started quickly Wednesday, taking a 1-0 lead in the fourth minute when Mia Ferguson received a pass from the wing and scored with a volley.
“Bullard is a good team. They’ve always been a good team,” Madera head coach Cameron Hill said. “We just didn’t play as well as we should have. We don’t make excuses. We just move on.”
Bullard had a chance to add to the lead on a corner in the 11th minute, but a header missed the target. Another opportunity went to waste in the 25th minute when Bullard missed a penalty kick. However, the Knights bounced back two minutes later with a low shot into the left post for a 2-0 lead.
“Whether the referee was right or wrong, I think we committed too many fouls in too many dangerous areas,” Hill said.
Madera’s Mia Perez had the best opportunity of the first half for the Coyotes, but her shot from inside the box bounced off the post and stayed out, ending the half with a 2-0 Bullard lead.
The Knights continued to press in the second half. Their effort paid off when Isabella Arthur scored an unusual goal in the 48th minute. Arthur’s goal came on a corner kick which went straight to the far post and bounced into the target. The lead grew wider in the 62nd minute when Bailey Arreola converted a shot from close range.
Madera goalkeeper Yesenia Montoya came up with a pair of saves in the final few minutes to deny more opportunities for the Knights and help the Coyotes escape without further damage.
Madera lost 4-1 against Edison in its previous game.
“We can still be successful and they still believe,” Hill said. “We just have to move on and do the best we can. At the same time, it’s hard to keep the motivation, but I think this group is resilient and they will keep going.”
