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Briarwood found the back of the net early and often as the Lions finished off a 6-0 run through area play with a big win at Pelham. (For the Reporter/Tracy Franklin)

By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

PELHAM – The Briarwood Christian Lions polished off a perfect 6-0 area record in emphatic fashion with a 10-0 win against the Pelham Panthers on Tuesday, April 16 at Pelham High School.

While the Lions entered the match with the area title already in hand, that didn’t stop them from pressing the attack and finishing the mercy-rule win with 10 goals in 36 minutes.

Briarwood got on the scoreboard within the first five minutes of the match to establish itself in front, and then shortly after, it added to the lead with another goal. By the time the clock hit the 13th minute, the Lions were firmly in front 3-0.

However, that wasn’t the end of the offense as Briarwood continued to press the attack.

The Lions took a shot from outside the box in the 18th minute and found the back of the net once again to increase the lead to 4-0.

Just one minute later, Briarwood took another chance from up close for the fifth goal of the night, and a minute after that in the 20th minute, Taylor Leib took a shot from long-range to score a goal as well for three goals in three minutes.

That lead held until the 29th minute when Erin Gilbert joined the scoring party and made the lead 7-0.

Gilbert contributed to another goal four minutes later when her pass across the goal found Piper Eighmy who scored to increase the lead to eight.

Just a minute later, Pelham got a free kick opportunity, but Briarwood blocked the ball in and immediately made a counter-attack run down the field. Eighmy then slotted home her shot for another goal.

Needing just one more goal to trigger the mercy rule, Gilbert took another crack at the goal in the 36th minute and her deep shot went into the top corner to make the score 10-0.

The Lions then held on for the final four minutes of the half to see the 10-goal lead out to halftime and walk away with the mercy-rule win.

With the victory, Briarwood improved to 11-4-3 on the season and capped off its area championship run with a 6-0 area record.

The Lions will finish the regular season on April 23 at 6 p.m. with a tough test at home against Oak Mountain.

As for Pelham, it has two games remaining in the season, first on the road at Chilton County on April 18 at 5:30 p.m. and then at Leeds on April 23 at 7:30 p.m.

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