The Mustangs girls soccer team annihilated the Warren County Wildcats on Tuesday, April 21st by a score of 7-0. The game ended early, as seven goals is the limit before the mercy rule is invoked.
Contrary to the box score, both offenses were very quiet for most of the first half. The first score didn’t come until just under sixteen minutes left, with senior Sylvia Witt scoring a beautiful arcing shot over Warren County’s goaltender. An offensive barrage followed, with three more goals scored before halftime.
The Mustangs entered the second half with a 4-0 lead, and continued to dominate the field all the way until the final buzzer, netting their third win via mercy rule this season.
The Mustangs dominance stemmed from the constant pressure they put on the Wildcats’ defense. Meridian seemed to always be on Warren County’s side of the field, and this translated into plenty of goals scored. Head coach Leah Partridge commented on the style of play she emphasizes to improve the team’s play in these scenarios.
“We work really hard to make sure that we’re playing quick soccer, two-touch passes, making sure that we’re looking for creative opportunities…looking for drop passes, crosses to the weak side, swinging it through the back just to make sure that we’re finding the best opportunities for a goal,” coach Partridge commented.
While the Mustangs’ record now sits at 5-3, the general consensus is that the squad is much better than what their record indicates. The Mustangs have had many dominant wins while losing a few very close games to larger programs, such as 6A Alexandria City, that recently squeaked out a win against the Mustangs 2-0. Coach Partridge also weighed in on how she helps her players deal with losses like these.
“Early on in the season, we had quite a few injuries of returning players, so we had to look at how we work as a unit on the field with a bunch of new freshmen…we also had to acknowledge that when you play a 6A school that’s five times the size of your school, holding that team to zero goals for most of the game for us is a big win. So reminding the athletes that it’s not just the score that counts but also the play of the game and what that’s preparing us for long-term,” coach Partridge explained.
The Mustangs continue to impress, and will look to continue their strong play in their next game against Handley High School on Thursday, April 23rd.
