NEW MARKET — The last girls soccer match in Sagamore history went the way of Lebanon with a 5-2 win over Southmont.
A later start than the other two conference matches meant the matchup brought he curtain down on the conference at the Mounties home field, and two goals by Jessica Hale wasn’t enough, as South finishes the regular season 6-9 and 3-4 in the Sagamore. The Tigers finish 9-6 overall and 4-3 in the conference as both teams prepare for sectional action next week.
“It’s a little bittersweet, and we would have liked to win tonight, but we are also looking forward to playing in the new (Monon Athletic) conference next year,” Mounties coach Angie Williams said.
The Tigers scored two goals in the first half and controlled the style and tempo of play. South goal keeper Makinzie Wood had several very good stops to keep the score close.
The Mounties offense picked up some momentum in the second half, starting with Hale’s first goal at the 33:06 mark, making it a 2-1 match.
The next two goals, however, were netted by Tigers leading scorer Sarah Wright, and the visitor’s defense was not going to let South get that many chances. A penalty kick by Hale with 6:59 left gave the Mounties their second goal.”
“We stayed level-headed,” Lebanon coach Samantha Parsons said. “Our captains on the field do a really good job of not letting the other players get too up or down. There is good talent and skill on this team as we go into the sectionals, and keeping our composure is a big factor, especially since we are playing a rival in our first match.
The Tigers play Western Boone.
“We played a really good overall game,” Williams said. “We executed well, we were aggressive. Several players had their best match of the season. Lebanon is a good team with a lot of good players. We just didn’t come out on top tonight.”
Hale’s first goal was on a free kick from 35 yards out, and the senior arced her shot perfectly over the extended arms of Lebanon goal keeper Aubrey Goodlett. She nearly had a second, from nearly the same spot, later in the second half that would have made it a one-goal game again, but it was just a couple feet too high.
The two goals by Hale give her 24 for the season, which ties her with Adi Melton of Tri-West for most in the Sagamore Conference. Hale set a Southmont school record last Saturday with eight goals in a 14-0 win over South Vermillion.
After the co-leaders, the next leading goal scorer in the conference was Caroline Novak of Crawfordsville with 18, and Wright finished in fourth with 17.
The two teams head in different directions for their post season play.
The Tigers travel to West Lafayette, where they will take on WeBo next Tuesday. If they win that match, they will play North Montgomery in the semifinals.
The Mounties are in 1A and head to Greencastle next Tuesday for the first match of Section 40 action. They take on the host Tiger Cubs. Greencastle took a 3-1 victory over South in the regular season.
“We were missing two starters for that one,” Williams said. “We are nothing close to the same team. We are playing so much better defensively and we are passing way better. This is a really young team, and there has been a lot of learning since then. Now, Greencastle is still the favorite to win it, but we’ll show up.”
The Tiger Cubs finished 12-3.
The coach also noted that there is a budding rivalry with Greencastle, especially since they will be members of the new Monon Athletic Conference with South next season.
“These younger players have had some success,” Williams said, “but several of their losses going back to middle school and junior high have been to Greencastle. We are looking forward to playing them and maybe getting a little revenge.”
The match next Tuesday is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start.
