On Tuesday night the DeKalb County Tiger soccer team took on new opponents, the Lancaster Christian Knights. The Tigers were defeated in a 5-0 thumping, handing DeKalb their third loss of the season.
The Knights started off with the ball and wasted little time breaking past the back line of DeKalb and getting a shot off, but it sailed wide right for a goal kick. After the goal kick, DeKalb had possession and was marching downfield until the eight-minute mark when DeKalb was flagged for offsides and the play was stopped.
The Knights, now with possession, proceeded to move the ball downfield in an attempt at a shot. The Knights did so successfully, but the shot drifted wide right for a goal kick. The Tigers could not manage to keep the ball in their possession as, at the 13-minute mark, the Knights stole the ball and played in a through ball to a breaking striker. The striker took his shot but it sailed high over the goal not giving keeper Ben Driver any trouble. Lancaster Christian again was on the aggressive as at the 16-minute mark  they were able to get a shot off, this time the keeper had to deflect the ball, pushing the ball over the crossbar for a corner kick. On the corner attempt the ball was cleared by back line defender Mason Merriman. DeKalb’s offense continued their struggles as they could not keep possession on the opposite side of the field. At the 17-minute mark, the defense for DeKalb caught a break as they caught the Knight’s striker offsides for a free kick. DeKalb saw their first glimpse of offense with a shot from Javier Sanchez, but the shot was no contest for the keeper as it would sail high for a goal kick. At the 20-minute mark Tiger mid-fielder Luis Richards was given a yellow card for aggressive play. The Knights capitalized on the foul, breaking past the defense for a shot. The shot was deflected by a Tiger defender for a throw-in.
At the 22-minute mark,  the Tigers’ keeper Driver came out to stop a scoring bind and stopped the initial shot leaving the goal unattended. The Knights took another shot to the open net but shanked the kick wide right giving the Tigers a big break.  The Tiger defense was hanging in strong as at the 23-minute mark  Lancaster Christian was flagged for offsides. Just after the penalty the Knights marched back into Tiger territory with a through ball placed perfectly to an awaiting striker, who, at about 25 yards out, took a shot that bent into the right side of the goal for the first point of the game. The Knights didn’t stop there as they continued their momentum and stole the ball from DeKalb just after the goal and played the ball into the six-yard box of the Tigers. With all the defenders cluttered in the middle of the field, the keeper’s view was restricted and the Knights put in another goal at the 26-minute mark. At the 29-minute mark, DeKalb was given a chance at goal, coming by way of a free kick from 27 yards out. Taylor would take the free kick and struck the ball well, but it went straight to the keeper.
Though down 2-0, the back line held strong again catching the Knights offsides at the 32-minute mark. The Tigers’ next chance to score came from a through ball from Richards to Sanchez at the 35-minute mark. The keeper came out to stop Sanchez, but let him slip away for an open goal shot, but play was stopped as the referee had called a hand ball on Sanchez and the play was negated.  The Knights would have the last run of  play from the first half as they would grab possession and get a shot off in extra time that would be wide right and the whistle sounded ending the first half.
In the opening second of the second half, the Tigers would march the ball downfield and Taylor would take a deep shot from 30 yards out that would ricochet off the right post of the goal, nearly missing for the Tigers’ first goal of the game. Lancaster Christian answered back, breaking past the back line in a one-on-one match between the keeper, Driver, and the Lancaster striker. Driver came out of the six-yard box and deflected the ball away. With the ball still in play, another Knight found his way to the ball with an open-net shot opportunity. The shot was destined for the back of the net until back-line defender Thomas Beltz came across the field sliding to it, and clearing the ball from the for-sure goal, for another chance with a corner kick.
On the corner attempt the ball was cleared to mid-field but it was again the Knights who grabbed possession and sliced through the defense of DeKalb, for another one-on-one break-away with the keeper. This time Driver was helpless to do anything and another goal was scored by Lancaster Christian.
At the 11-minute mark, Lancaster Christian again played a through ball that looked to set up a scoring play but back-line defender Merriman stepped in and cleared the ball away from danger. Play was even as neither team could break past midfield with the ball until the 16-minute mark when the Knights found a seam and took a shot that keeper Driver would stretch to punch out of play for a corner kick. On the corner, the Knights would play the ball through the middle of the field. It was a header in the back side of the goal that would make the game 4-0.
Lancaster Christian would continue their dominant play and abuse the back line of DeKalb, scoring a fifth goal at the 34-minute mark. After the goal  Taylor was given a yellow card for unsportsman-like conduct. The Knights would pass the ball around killing the rest of the time left in the game for a solid victory.