Mt. Pleasant girls lose heartbreaker to Fairfield

BY ANDY KRUTSINGER

Mt. Pleasant News

The second game of the year between the Mt. Pleasant and Fairfield girls? soccer teams was just as competitive as the first, and for the second game in a row, the ball bounced the Trojans? way.

The Panthers and Trojans grinded it out in a low-scoring game, and it was Fairfield that walked away with the 2-1 win on Thursday evening.

Fairfield came into the contest having won seven of their last eight games, including six shutout wins. Mt. Pleasant came in just three days after a 10-0 clubbing of Washington.

The first half was a back and forth battle with both teams getting multiple scoring chances. The only one converted, however, was just six minutes into the contest.

Fairfield?s Courtney Gilmore, who scored the only goal in the last matchup between the two teams, scored on a breakaway to make it 1-0 with 34 minutes left in the first half.

Shortly after Gilmore?s goal, Mt. Pleasant had their first good chance. Shyla Hiler found an opening and got a shot off, but Fairfield goalkeeper Sierra Vogt made a diving save to keep the game at 1-0.

Mt. Pleasant started to gain momentum throughout the first half, and finally cashed in with 20:17 left in the period. Elizabeth Litchfield had her shot stopped by the hand of a Fairfield defender, setting up a penalty shot for the Panthers. Lauren Ralls stepped up and netted the equalizing goal, to make it 1-1.

The Panthers nearly made it a 2-1 game in the final minutes of the first half. Ralls and Hiler each had multiple shots on goal with just under four minutes remaining, but Vogt made save after save during a mad scramble to keep the game tied going into halftime.

The two teams traded chances early in the second half. Vogt kept the game tied with a diving stop on Ralls with 27:10 remaining, and shortly after, Mt. Pleasant?s Kalynn Batey made a sliding stop on a breakaway from Fairfield?s Kristin Burnstedt.

As the clock wound down in the game, the Panthers outshot the Trojans, but couldn?t put the ball in the net. Ralls had two chances with under 20 minutes remaining. One of her shots sailed just over the cross bar, and another kissed the far post after going off the hands of a diving Vogt.

The game looked like it was going into overtime until the Trojans grabbed the lead back, with 5:53 remaining. After another save on a Ralls shot, Fairfield took the ball up the field, and the ball found Burnstedt in the box. Burnstedt sent a dart into the upper right corner of the goal and the Trojans took a 2-1 lead.

The momentum completely swung from that point forward. The Trojans got the majority of chances in the last five minutes of the game, including a chance by Gilmore with 1:45 remaining that was saved by Panther keeper Elizabeth Heerdt.

The Fairfield defense kept Mt. Pleasant in check in the final seconds and the Trojans walked away with the one-goal road win.

Mt. Pleasant fell to 4-4 overall with the loss and 2-3 in the SEC. The Panthers will head to Keokuk on Monday, May 2, for a game starting at 4:30 p.m.

Fairfield moved to 8-1 overall and 4-1 in conference play with the win. The Trojans will host Oskaloosa on Thursday, May 5, for a non-conference game, at 5:30 p.m.