Soccer Game Preview: Fossil Ridge vs. Valor Christian

The Fossil Ridge SaberCats will square off against the Valor Christian Eagles at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Fossil Ridge is coming into the contest hot, having won their last seven games.

Fossil Ridge is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Monday. While the 1-1 score might suggest a draw, it was the SaberCats who were credited with the victory. Fossil Ridge got it done in the shootout by posting four goals to Ralston Valley's two. Bella Robinson had the honor of scoring the game-winner for Fossil Ridge.

Fossil Ridge was without their leading scorer, Lily Wale, in Monday's game. With Wale sitting this one out, Shay Masters got some extra time on the pitch (110 vs. her season average of 69.7).

On Monday, Valor Christian needed a bit of extra time to put away Mountain Vista. They skirted past the Golden Eagles 1-0. Valor Christian's defense has been rock solid lately; the team hasn't given up a goal in their last three matches.

Fossil Ridge pushed their record up to 13-1-4 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only given up one goal over those four contests. As for Valor Christian, they are on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven games. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-3-2 record this season.

Fossil Ridge skirted past Valor Christian 1-0 in their previous meeting back in May of 2019. The rematch might be a little tougher for the SaberCats since the team won't have the home-pitch advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.