Soccer Game Preview: Griffith vs. Highland

The Griffith Panthers will take on the Highland Trojans at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Griffith managed to slip by Kankakee Valley the last time these teams faced off, but didn't have those same answers this time around. The Panthers lost 4-0 to the Kougars on Thursday. Griffith have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back matches.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Highland, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They had just enough and edged out Valparaiso 2-1. The win was all the more spectacular given Highland's disadvantage in MaxPreps' Indiana soccer rankings (they are ranked 129th, while Valparaiso are ranked 46th).

Payton Bailey and Grace Houchin scored both of Highland's goals, bringing their combined season tally to six goals.

Highland pushed their record up to 9-7-1 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they scored 16 goals over those four matchups. As for Griffith, their loss dropped their record down to 8-8.

Griffith beat Highland by a goal in their previous matchup back in August, winning 4-3. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Panthers since the team won't have the home-pitch advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.