The Lady Knights welcomed the Lady Bulldogs from Mary Persons High School to Matthews Field on Thursday for their home opener.{linefeed}

Upson-Lee was coming off a disappointing 5-0 defeat to the No. 1 state ranked Lady Chiefs of McIntosh. Facing Mary Persons would not be an easy task either. The Lady Bulldogs were coming off of a thrashing of Jackson, and had given Upson-Lee some problems in the past.{linefeed}

To make matters worse, the Lady Knights would be without starter Jeri Joiner, who missed the game due to a stomach virus, and Upson-Lee had to limit starter Anna Holmes’ playing time, as she was also coming off an illness.{linefeed}

The Lady Knights nearly scored in the first five minutes of the game, but a shot off of the left foot of Akelia Raines sailed just left of the Lady Bulldogs’ goal.{linefeed}

After the ball sailed just wide for the Lady Knights, the ball bounced perfectly for Mary Persons. Upson-Lee keeper Haylie Zolman attempted to clear the ball from near the Lady Knights’ goal, but the ball ricocheted off of a Lady Bulldog, and sailed over Zolman’s head, right into the Upson-Lee goal.{linefeed}

With Mary Persons taking a 1-0 lead on a gratuitous bounce, the Lady Dawgs showed more confidence throughout the first half, taking the 1-0 lead into the locker room at half time.{linefeed}

In the second half, the Lady Knights began to control the tempo of the game, while controlling the ball with nice passes and nice touches.{linefeed}

At the 35:12 mark of the second half, Upson-Lee finally scored their first goal of the season, tying the game at 1-1. Upson-Lee’s Haley Baucom sent the ball on a nice crossing pass to Grace Wolverton, who blasted the ball past the Lady Bulldogs keeper.{linefeed}

The Lady Knights knocked on the door of the Mary Persons’ goal several times late in the contest, but could never score another goal, as the game ended in a 1-1 tie.{linefeed}

The Lady Knights (0-1-1) will host the Lady Hounds (0-0-0) from Jones County today at Matthews Field. Game time is slated for 5:30 p.m. Jones County lost 8-1 to Mary Persons in a scrimmage game earlier this season.{linefeed}