FLORENCE — After a nearly flawless run through the spring, the Blythewood Bengals girls’ soccer team hit its first region hurdle Tuesday night, falling 4-3 in a high-scoring battle against West Florence.
The loss marks the first conference blemish for the Bengals (10-4, 9-1), who had previously gone untouched in Region 5-5A play. Entering the match, Blythewood’s defense had been a literal wall, allowing only three goals across nine previous region contests. However, the Knights’ offense managed to find its way through.
The two teams went into the halftime break knotted at 1-1. In the second half, the offenses opened up, with Blythewood finding the back of the net twice, but West Florence managed three goals in the final frame to secure the narrow victory.
Despite the loss, Blythewood remains in the driver’s seat for the region title. They currently hold the top spot with a 9-1 conference record, just ahead of West Florence (8-1). The Bengals’ statistical dominance remains staggering; they have outscored region opponents 58-7 so far this season.
The Bengals have three games remaining on the regular-season slate to regain their momentum before the postseason. They return home Friday to host Sumter, a team they shut out 8-0 in their first meeting on March 24.
Following the Sumter match, Blythewood will face a massive non-region test on April 28 when they host Chapin. The Eagles (12-3) are currently ranked third in Region 4-5A and will provide a playoff-caliber atmosphere for the Bengals.
Blythewood will then close out the regular season on May 1 at home against Ridge View. In their previous meeting with the Blazers, the Bengals cruised to an 11-1 victory. One win in their final two region games should be enough to cement the Bengals’ status as region champions. The Bengals await seeding as they head into the 5A Division I state playoffs, which are set to begin May 5.