Soccer Game Preview: Science Hill vs. Dobyns-Bennett

Science Hill is 2-8 against Dobyns-Bennett since March of 2023 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Hilltoppers will look to defend their home pitch against the Indians at 6:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Science Hill's defense heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Daniel Boone with a sharp 8-0 win. Given Science Hill's advantage in MaxPreps' Tennessee soccer rankings (they are ranked 59th, while Daniel Boone are ranked 268th) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.

Science Hill's offense was hitting Daniel Boone from everywhere, as six different players booted in a goal. Samuel Moody led that balanced group of strikers and accounted for two goals all by himself.

Meanwhile, Dobyns-Bennett came tearing into Tuesday's match with seven straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 3.7 goals), and they left with even more momentum. They were the clear victors by an 8-0 margin over Wolves. The contest marked Dobyns-Bennett's most dominant victory of the season.

Dobyns-Bennett used a slightly different lineup for their bout with West Ridge. Three players got more time on the pitch than they're used to: Santiago Cerna (27), Colin Steach (27), and Daniel Pond (27). The trio had averaged 14.2, 13.3, and 14.3 minutes respectively before Tuesday's game. The pair took full advantage of the opportunity: Cerna scored a goal and one assist, while he scored a goal.

Dobyns-Bennett's win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 14-2-2. Those home victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only given up two goals over those five matches. As for Science Hill, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 10-5-3.