MP girls? soccer dealt first loss of the season

The Mt. Pleasant girls soccer team took the field for the second day in a row, and this time they were dealt their first loss of the season: a 5-0 decision against the Class 1A 13th-ranked Burlington Notre Dame in a non-conference match.

The Panthers are now 3-1 on the season.

The Panthers were without three of their usual starters because of a conflict with the Iowa High School Jazz Band Championships in Des Moines.

?As a result, we had some players playing positions that they don?t typically play,? Coach Ed Chabal said.

One notable loss was goalkeeper Lauren Hillman. Her spot was filled by Tiffany Liechty, a freshman getting her first varsity start.

After giving up an early goal, Liechty made eight first-half saves to keep the Panthers in the game.

Playing with the wind, however, Burlington Notre-Dame made four second-half goals, including one penalty kick.

?Burlington Notre Dame kept good pressure on the Panthers the entire game,? Chabal said. ?Hannah LeBlanc, Linzie Hood and Mila Argueta played a key role in limiting their offensive attack.?

As for the Panthers offensive attack, Chabal noted that Holly Long created many scoring opportunities for her teammates and herself, but nothing found its way into the net.

The Panthers play their third game in four days on Thursday: a conference matchup against Keokuk, starting at 4:30 p.m. at East Lake Park.