Published: May 15, 2008 09:42 am            

Wildcats blitz Mt. Vernon in soccer regional

By PAUL WILCOXEN

paul.wilcoxen@register-news.com

CARBONDALE — Two South 7 conference rivals squared off in the second game of the Carbondale high school soccer regional Wednesday night, but unfortunately for Mt. Vernon, it was all Marion from start to finish, as the Lady Wildcats advanced to Friday's championship with an 11-1 drumming to end the Lady Rams' season at 8-9-2.

"We were hoping it wasn't going to be this way, but it was," said Mt. Vernon soccer coach Steve Harrison. "We were just lucky we hung with them the first time we played them (a 1-0 loss back in early April at Marion).

"We just haven't gotten better. Once we start to fall apart, we fall apart, but the girls played hard and with a lot of emotion. You could see they gave everything and put all they have."

Mt. Vernon's problem all night ended up being as simple as getting the ball on their side of the field.

Marion managed to keep the ball on its end of the field for the first eight minutes of the game.

"Marion's a good team," said Harrison. "They've got a good feeder program. We've just got to get that good feeder program. As we pulled into the soccer park, how many little kids were out their practicing? There were like 10 fields out there and Mt. Vernon has to get those little things going.

"If you are going to compete with teams that have had club soccer from four years old, you're going to have to do the same thing. You're not going to just be able to play in season and be able to compete with girls who play year round. It's a fact."

The Wildcats opened up a 6-0 lead at half time, with Paige Smothers scoring the first two goals of the game; the first coming at the 29:04 mark and the second at 19:57.

Mt. Vernon didn’t have its first shot at a goal until Rylie Bruce managed to break free of the Marion defense with an opportunity to tie the game at 19:57, but was unable to beat the Lady Wildcats’ goalie.

The Lady Rams' lone goal came with Marion up 8-0 in the second half.

Shelby Timm came off of a corner kick to find the back of the goal at the 29:59 mark to put Mt. Vernon on the board.

"That made it so much better than to get shut out," Harrison explained. "Even if it's 15-0, you’d rather it be 15-1. At least you could put the ball in.”

Marion had 34 shots on goal compared to Mt. Vernon’s two in the game.

“When their girls take a shot they put it on,” said Harrison. “They have some girls that, when they kick it, there’s a purpose. They put it on target.

“Our girls just kick it and hope it goes that way.”

        

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