Panther girls pop Ottumwa

It was a successful home opener for the Mt. Pleasant girls' soccer team on Thursday night. The Panthers used a four-goal game from Sydney Doak to oust Ottumwa 4-1 and move to 2-0 on the season.

Doak's first goal came with 21:50 left in the first half. She settled the ball on the right side of the box and rocketed a shot inside the left post. Ottumwa's Alicia Chacon answered with a goal of her own with 14:23 left in the half to tie it at 1-1.

In the final six minutes, Doak scored her second goal of the game. Mary West sent a ball through the defense and Doak found herself all alone with the keeper, sending it past her to give Mt. Pleasant a 2-1 lead at halftime.

Doak picked up two more goals in the first 20 minutes of the second half. With 27:25 showing on the clock, Doak tapped in the ball after Anna Ostby popped it over the keeper's head, giving her the hat-trick and stretching the lead to 3-1. She scored again just under five minutes later, ending the scoring at 4-1.

'She had outstanding game,” head coach Brennan Williams said of his junior forward. 'She really took care of business up front for us. That first goal she had was probably the best goal she has scored in her high school career, including the other ones she had today. Just a great touch off to the left. It's exactly what we talk about and what we work on, but the execution was just perfect.”

The Panthers peppered the Ottumwa keeper all game. Ayden Ross needed just four saves in the win, and the Panthers outshot Ottumwa 16-4.

The junior varsity game was shortened due to bad lighting and rainy weather. The two JV teams finished in a 0-0 draw.

Mt. Pleasant will have a big game on Monday, April 8. They'll host Fairfield at East Lake Park in what could play a big part in deciding the Southeast Conference champion when the season is all said and done.