If it was the last game as the home team on their home field at the 179 Soccer Park for the Helias Crusaders, they went out in style.
Nick Brandt scored a goal and added four assists as the Crusaders defeated the Father Tolton Trailblazers 6-1.
"It was a good win, a fitting way to close out this field," Helias coach Jay Hebenheimer said. "This was a nice victory."
Brandt tallied Helias' first goal with just under 27 minutes remaining in the first half, taking a pass from Elliott Lammers and drilling a low liner into the opposite corner from about 15 yards out.
The goal is the 58th in his career for Brandt, a junior. The school record is 62.
Brandt then turned his attention to helping his teammates score. The four assists ties the Helias single-game record of current teammate Isaac Johnson.
"He got hungry for them after a bit, I wish he would do more of that," Hebenheimer said. "When they key on Nick, that leaves 2-3 other guys open and if Nick can find the open guy and distribute like that, we should be able to score six goals a game."
Assist No. 1 came less than four minutes after his goal when he fed Matthew Schulte to make it 2-0.
But that closed the scoring in the first half.
"We were spurty tonight," Hebenheimer said. "We showed how good we can possess and hold the ball, play ferocious soccer, then just lose it for 10-15 minutes.
"And then we get back into it, looking good."
Quickly back into looking good as the Crusaders took the opening kick of the second half and drove toward the Blazer goal. Brandt dished the ball to Logan Pfenenger, who knocked it in off the near post to make it 3-0 just :15 into the half.
Helias made it 4-0 with 25:13 remaining when Grant Mengwasser knocked in a pass from Brandt. Brandt's final assist came with 6:46 to play on a goal by Lammers.
The Crusaders closed their scoring with 4:40 remaining when Carson Mudd scored off an assist by Johnson.
Tolton got on the board with 2:29 remaining on a penalty kick after a handball in the box was whistled on Helias.
"I hate to see Luke (Mercurio) lose a shutout like that with so little time left in the game, but that's soccer," Hebenheimer said.
Mercurio finished with five saves in the win. Helias outshot Tolton 19-5.
Helias celebrated Mom's Night prior to the game.
"For the boys to come out and play so well on Mom's Night is special," Hebenheimer said. "Night's like this really help develop a sense of family for this team and this program."
Helias (8-4) will play Thursday at Mexico before playing its first game on its field at the Crusader Athletic Complex on Saturday against Hannibal. Saturday's action will begin at 10:30 a.m. with the JV game, followed by the varsity contest around 12:15 p.m.
"We are officially opening our stadium Saturday," Hebeneheimer said.
Tolton, ranked No. 10 in Class 2 by the Missouri High School Soccer Coaches Association, is now 12-6.
In Monday's JV game, Helias blanked Tolton 3-0.