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Lady Jays, Helias set for this weekend's Capital City Invitational
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By Tom Rackers
sports@newstribune.com
Their season records are similar. Maybe that's why their coaches are still searching for the same thing from the Jefferson City Lady Jays and the Helias Lady Crusaders - consistency.
The Lady Jays and Lady Crusaders will try to work on some of the rough spots at the Capital City Soccer Invitational starting Friday at the 179 Soccer Park.
The Lady Jays (5-5-1 heading into Thursday night's home game against Quincy, Ill., will square off with Fort Osage at 7 p.m. Friday.
“Our biggest issue right now is putting a whole game together,” Lady Jays coach Matt Stacey said. “I see a glimpse of greatness for 15 or 20 minutes, then we seem to go the other way for the next 15 or 20.
“It's when we have our lapses that other teams are taking advantage of the situation. Good teams have to be consistent for the entire 80 minutes and we want to be a good team.”
Stacey believes the team took a step in the right direction in Monday's 1-0 win at Hickman.
“It wasn't a consistent game, but we played very well at the start of the second half and we made it stand up,” he said.
Molly Cowley record the goal in the opening 10 minutes of the second half on an assist by Kelsey Sanders. Mariah McClain got the shutout in goal.
Inconsistent scoring has been a problem through the first 11 games.
“We've got some proven goal-scorers who are having trouble finding the net right now,” Stacey said. “It's taking them awhile to get into the swing of things. They're getting better, they're starting to find their form, it's just a matter of doing it on the field.”
The Lady Crusaders (4-5-1) will open against the Pembroke Hill Lady Raiders at 5 p.m.
“We've got to get consistent,” Lady Crusaders coach Matt Hicks said. “It's a matter of concentration and hard work and we've gotten a lot better. But we still have to do it for 80 minutes.
“If we can do that, to me, that's a win, no matter what's on the scoreboard.”
The Lady Crusaders have impressed Hicks in flurries this season. But that complete effort has eluded them so far.
“We can go out and play an excellent 10 minutes, but then that 11th minute to No. 30, sometimes we don't,” Hicks said. “It's something for us to work on.”
The Lady Crusaders were without three players with injuries in a 4-0 win Monday over Kirksville - seniors Katie Pitts and Courtney Luebbert, along with junior Megan Mercurio. Pitts has the best chance to be back on the field this weekend, Hicks said.
The injuries could be “a blessing in disguise,” he said.
“It gives other players an opportunity to shine, a chance for some of them to show me something that maybe I've missed,” Hicks said. “It's either going to advance our development or show us that we have some work to do on our depth.”
Pembroke Hill is no stranger to the 179 Soccer Park, having dropped a 3-1 decision to Jefferson City earlier this season.
Friday's other first-round games will pit Rockwood Summit against Springfield Catholic at 5 p.m. and Pattonville against Rolla at 7 p.m. Pattonville is ranked 10th in the latest St. Louis large school poll.
Each teams will play twice Saturday, with the seventh- and fifth-place games to start at 1 p.m. and the third-place and championship contests to begin at 3 p.m.
Jefferson City defeated Helias 1-0 in the third-place game last year.
The Lady Jays and Lady Crusaders will try to work on some of the rough spots at the Capital City Soccer Invitational starting Friday at the 179 Soccer Park.
The Lady Jays (5-5-1 heading into Thursday night's home game against Quincy, Ill., will square off with Fort Osage at 7 p.m. Friday.
“Our biggest issue right now is putting a whole game together,” Lady Jays coach Matt Stacey said. “I see a glimpse of greatness for 15 or 20 minutes, then we seem to go the other way for the next 15 or 20.
“It's when we have our lapses that other teams are taking advantage of the situation. Good teams have to be consistent for the entire 80 minutes and we want to be a good team.”
Stacey believes the team took a step in the right direction in Monday's 1-0 win at Hickman.
“It wasn't a consistent game, but we played very well at the start of the second half and we made it stand up,” he said.
Molly Cowley record the goal in the opening 10 minutes of the second half on an assist by Kelsey Sanders. Mariah McClain got the shutout in goal.
Inconsistent scoring has been a problem through the first 11 games.
“We've got some proven goal-scorers who are having trouble finding the net right now,” Stacey said. “It's taking them awhile to get into the swing of things. They're getting better, they're starting to find their form, it's just a matter of doing it on the field.”
The Lady Crusaders (4-5-1) will open against the Pembroke Hill Lady Raiders at 5 p.m.
“We've got to get consistent,” Lady Crusaders coach Matt Hicks said. “It's a matter of concentration and hard work and we've gotten a lot better. But we still have to do it for 80 minutes.
“If we can do that, to me, that's a win, no matter what's on the scoreboard.”
The Lady Crusaders have impressed Hicks in flurries this season. But that complete effort has eluded them so far.
“We can go out and play an excellent 10 minutes, but then that 11th minute to No. 30, sometimes we don't,” Hicks said. “It's something for us to work on.”
The Lady Crusaders were without three players with injuries in a 4-0 win Monday over Kirksville - seniors Katie Pitts and Courtney Luebbert, along with junior Megan Mercurio. Pitts has the best chance to be back on the field this weekend, Hicks said.
The injuries could be “a blessing in disguise,” he said.
“It gives other players an opportunity to shine, a chance for some of them to show me something that maybe I've missed,” Hicks said. “It's either going to advance our development or show us that we have some work to do on our depth.”
Pembroke Hill is no stranger to the 179 Soccer Park, having dropped a 3-1 decision to Jefferson City earlier this season.
Friday's other first-round games will pit Rockwood Summit against Springfield Catholic at 5 p.m. and Pattonville against Rolla at 7 p.m. Pattonville is ranked 10th in the latest St. Louis large school poll.
Each teams will play twice Saturday, with the seventh- and fifth-place games to start at 1 p.m. and the third-place and championship contests to begin at 3 p.m.
Jefferson City defeated Helias 1-0 in the third-place game last year.
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