Mt. Pleasant girls' soccer opens SEC play with 4-1 win over Fairfield

Entering the 2011 season, Mt. Pleasant girls' soccer coach Ed Chabal wasn't sure what to expect in his first season as coach. But after the Panthers improved to 3-0 with a 4-1 win over Fairfield Monday afternoon, Chabal likes what he sees from his team.

"I'd like to say I expected it [being 3-0 to start the season] but they're playing really well. I don't think we came out with quite as much intensity tonight as we did maybe in the other two matches but we picked up steam as the match went," said Chabal.

With the wind gusting steadily throughout the game, both teams struggled to get the ball to the ground and maintain control.

"[The wind was a factor] not just on shots but also trying to settle the ball, trying to get it under control and trying to get a header on it," said Chabal. "It was tough to judge. It was the first time we'd played in this much wind."

The game was scoreless until Mt. Pleasant's Sarah Pieper scored with 4:40 left in the first half but the Panthers found the back of the net in the second half as Holly Long scored twice and Jessica Tone scored once.

Mt. Pleasant's Lauren Hillman gave up her first goal in 240 minutes of play so far this season when Fairfield (1-2) pushed a goal through midway into the second period.

For Fairfield, which dropped its second game in a row, a few bad bounces of the ball and missed passing opportunities put the Trojans behind throughout the game, according to coach Roeland Hekker. The Trojans' 2011 team has 34 players out but only 12 with soccer experience, making it a season of learning as they go.

"We had a lot of the ball just bouncing away from us, we don't trap very well and there's still just a lot of kicking the ball instead of passing it," said Hekker. "We aren't very good at taking flight, taking balls out of the air ? the Mt. Pleasant team was much better at it. It was a very nice game, very well played."

Mt. Pleasant has a short turn around after the win, as the Panthers travel to Keokuk tonight for a 4 p.m. game. Fairfield travels to Washington for a game on Thursday, April 14.