Panther girls cruise on senior night

BY ANDY KRUTSINGER

Mt. Pleasant News

The wind and rain came and went at East Lake Park on Tuesday evening, but the goals kept coming for the Mt. Pleasant girls.

The Panthers blasted Mediapolis, 11-4, on senior night, led by three hat tricks; one each by Shyla Hiler, Lauren Ralls and Mary West.

All seven seniors started together. The Panther seniors include Ally Davis, Megan Hoenig, Samantha Lanphier, Tabbi Liechty, Maddy Long, Carolyn Lutovsky and Ralls.

Ralls started the scoring off just 15 minutes into the game. After a West shot hit the crossbar just two minutes earlier, Ralls sprung loose on a stretch pass by Lanphier and got past the keeper for a goal.

Right after Ralls? first goal, Catherine Prough found a seam up the near side off a pass from Hiler. She blasted a shot past the keeper and Mt. Pleasant had a quick 2-0 lead.

After a Bullette goal with 22:10 remaining in the half, the Panthers were back on the attack again. Mediapolis was able to keep the game at 2-1 for just over 10 minutes before Hiler made it 3-1 with a shot off the left post. Hiler tallied her second goal of the game with 4:52 remaining and the Panthers led, 4-1, at halftime.

An early Mediapolis handball gave West a free kick in the first minute of the second half. She capitalized with a 20-yard strike to the back of the net to make it 5-1.

The Bullettes scored on their own goal off a cross from Prough to stretch the Panther lead to 6-1 with 37 minutes left. Just 10 minutes later, Hiler finished her hat trick with a lefty goal assisted by Ralls. Ralls then made it 8-1 with a long shot off the keeper?s fingertips for her second goal.

West scored her second goal of the game on a deep ball just a minute and a half later. Mediapolis responded to make it 9-2 but the Panthers weren?t done yet.

Ralls collected her third score with yet another long goal from outside the box and West scored off a steal with 10:17 left to push the lead to 11-2.

Mediapolis scored the final two goals of the ballgame but the damage was already done and Mt. Pleasant walked away victorious with the 11-4 senior night victory.

Hiler and Ralls each scored seven points (three goals and one assist) to lead the team in the victory. West was right behind them with six points (three goals). Prough finished with two points (one goal) and Lamphier had one from her assist.

The Panther girls (8-7) will close out their regular season tonight (Thurs.) in Burlington against Notre Dame, at 4:30 p.m. They?ll be back in Burlington one week from today for their regional first round game against the Grayhounds. That game will start at 6 p.m.