Soccer Game Preview: Fort Mill vs. Catawba Ridge

Fort Mill is 0-8 against Catawba Ridge since February of 2021 but things could change on Friday. The Yellow Jackets will square off against the Copperheads at 7:00 p.m. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Fort Mill's defense heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 1-0 win over Nation Ford. The victory was all the more spectacular given Fort Mill's disadvantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina soccer rankings (they are ranked 69th, while Nation Ford are ranked ninth).

Meanwhile, Catawba Ridge came tearing into Tuesday's contest with eight straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 2 goals), and they left with even more momentum. Everything went their way against the Blue Eagles as they made off with a 3-0 win. The result was nothing new for Catawba Ridge, who have now won four matches by three goals or more so far this season.

Joshua Zawlocki and James Mantel scored all three of Catawba Ridge's goals, bringing their combined season tally to 14 goals.

Catawba Ridge's victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-2. The home wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only given up two goals over those five games. As for Fort Mill, they are on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 6-7 record this season.