South Knox took on the Washington Catholic Cardinals this morning in a conference matchup. The Spartans started off a bit slow, with both sides trading possession early on. Once they settled in, however, South Knox began to take control and keep the ball in the attacking half. The Cardinals’ defense held firm through much of the first half, but the Spartans’ pressure finally paid off in the 26th minute when Cala Charleston set up Ava Babrick for the opening goal. Less than 10 minutes later, South Knox struck again — this time off a beautifully placed corner from Kalissa Lavely, who found Charleston’s head for the Spartans’ first headed goal of the season. The Spartans continued to create chances, but went into the half with a 2-0 advantage. The second half opened much like the first, with tight play from both teams. South Knox worked in their substitutes and rotated players into different positions, yet the energy and pressure never dipped. In the 68th minute, a cross from Lena Dent was deflected by a Cardinals defender into their own net, extending the Spartans’ lead to 3-0. Just five minutes later, South Knox earned a penalty, and Lavely calmly converted to make it 4-0. With the game well in hand, the Spartans even gave goalkeeper Layla Thomas a rest in the final minutes as Lavely stepped into goal. Thomas wasn’t tested often throughout the match, but when called upon she made several strong saves to keep the clean sheet intact. The Spartans move to 4-2 on the year (3-0 in Blue Chip). Next up, they face another tough conference foe, the Rivet Patriots, on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Rivet.