The Helias Lady Crusaders have proven to be a resilient bunch early this soccer season.
A season-opening 9-0 loss to Quincy Notre Dame was followed by a 5-0 victory against Waynesville. On Thursday, the Lady Crusaders were blanked 10-0 at St. Joseph's Academy, but bounced back Saturday afternoon with a 6-1 victory against the Camdenton Lakers at the Crusader Athletic Complex.
"We're not carrying the beats to the next game," Helias coach Jay Hebenheimer said. "I tell the players not to beat themselves up, they need to build themselves up.
"All the beating up that needs to be done will be done by the coaches."
Hebenheimer believes quality opposition will do nothing but help the Lady Crusaders when it matters.
"Those two teams were better than us on paper, they were better than we were at nearly all the positions of the field," Hebenheimer said. "But we need to schedule games like that, we need to be pushed, especially early in the season.
"We're going to play quality opponents all season. We just want to play the next one of them a little better than we played the last one.
"It's designed to get us better for the end of the season."
The Lady Crusaders faced a little adversity Saturday when the Lakers got on the board first on a goal by Aeryn Kennedy midway through the first half.
Helias responded with a pair of goals in the final 11 minutes of the half. Hannah Loethen's score tied it at the 10:47 mark before an own goal by Camdenton gave the Lady Crusaders the lead with a goal in the final minute.
Maya Heckart kept the Lady Crusaders rolling with a goal in the opening two minutes of the second half. It was a big day for Heckart, who also had three assists.
"Every practice, she comes out and gives it 100 percent," Hebenheimer said. "And during games, she's a great leader. She's an important piece in everything we do."
Loethen then added two more goals for a hat trick that made the score 5-1.
"We need players like Hannah in the attack because the good teams have players just like her, physical and aggressive soccer," Hebenheimer said.
Bailey Henson capped the scoring with a little more than 10 minutes to play.
Saturday's victory was important because Camdenton (1-3) is a potential foe in the this season's district tournament.
"This game will mean something down the road," Hebenheimer said. "It was a step forward, I see steps up the ladder."
Just four games into Hebenheimer's first season as head coach, the Lady Crusaders are still moving around the pieces of the lineup puzzle.
"We're still figuring who fits where," Hebenheimer said. "We want to put the right player in the right position for them to succeed.
"Hopefully the girls understand when I put them in a position, that means I trust them and they should trust themselves."
Helias (2-2) is back at home for games Monday and Wednesday in what has been a busy start to the season.
"It seems like we get one day to practice, then it's a game, then it's one day to practice, then it's a game," Hebenheimer said. "We could use a little bit of a break, but it's the schedule this year and we're working through it and making the best of it."
Helias will take on Battle on Monday before facing Rock Bridge on Wednesday. The JV game both days will start at 5 p.m., followed by the varsity contest around 6:45 p.m.
In Saturday's JV game, Helias blanked Camdenton 4-0. Savanah Feltrop, Caroline Adam, Megan Kerr and Michalee Sipi scored for the Lady Crusaders.