Red Hawks' Bailey Walker's hat-trick helped to propel the Haliburton Highlands Secondary School senior girls' soccer team to a dominating 4-1 win over the winless Brock High School Bulldogs this past Thursday.

Walker, who showed great composure on all of her goals, deflected praise, attributing the three goals to practice and complimented her team.

"I thought we all played well as a team. Usually we get tired in the second half, but this time we kept [our energy up] all the way through. We all did really well," she said.

Walker has four goals in three games and leads the team.

Red Hawks forward Casey Pringle, who was a veritable sparkplug, running the field, creating defensive mismatches with her pace all game, scored the game-winner in the opening minutes of the second half.

Co-coaches Sharon Dibblee and Hilary Harpell were satisfied by their team's performance, particularly the second half when the team scored three goals.

"Our goal was to have a better second half because our first two games we struggled. We came out very strong in the first half and then the second half we just weren't playing as a team, really. That was our goal," Harpell said. "I think two goals in the first five minutes of the second half ... we accomplished our goal."

Two areas of play the coaches said their team had worked on was their ball reception and communication in the pre-season. In this game everything came together.

"We knew it would come. We have the talent pool. They just need more time to play together. As the team gels . we've moved some players into new positions that they've not played before. Now as they get more comfortable with those positions it's helped a lot," Dibblee said.

Laura Pottier was moved from midfield to the backfield and has been part of the solid back line that includes Kate Denniston, who has taken the sweep position.

The team will strive to avoid the habitual bunching that has occurred, the coaches added.

It was the team's first win of the season after a 3-3 tie earlier in the week at home against the I.E. Weldon Secondary School Wildcats.

The coaching staff has been impressed by the team's willingness to learn.

The top two teams in the six-team division advance to the post-season. Third place is open for a wildcard berth and is a realistic goal, the coaches said.

There is shot at second place if the team can win their next games against the Fenelon Falls Secondary School Falcons and Lindsay Collegiate Vocational Institute Spartans.

Haliburton improves to 1-1-1 while Brock drops to 0-0-3.

Hawks notes

Earlier in the week, the Red Hawks tied the visiting I.E. Weldon Secondary School Wildcats 3-3 on the tying goal late in the second half by Shay Hutchings. Casey Pringle and Jessica Bishop each had a goal.

A week before on Thursday, May 3, the senior squad lost 3-1 to the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School Titans on the road. Walker scored the lone goal.

Junior notes

The first part to the senior/junior double-header was the junior teams for each respective school. Brock shut out the Red Hawks in the game.

A week earlier the juniors lost against a dominant team from the Brock High School Bulldogs on Tuesday, May 1.

Special mention for the game is given to players Taryn Albert and Joanie Tyler.

- with files from Judi Paul's class