JC shuts out Delta

One down, three to go.
Jay County is getting a tournament warm-up as it plays its four sectional rivals in a span of just 10 days late in the season. It started that run with a shutout victory.
The Patriots scored all of their goals in a span of less than seven minutes Tuesday on the way to a 4-0 victory over the visiting Delta Eagles.
“We got all 25 sectional players in,” said JCHS coach Abby Champ. “We played an extremely diverse game.
“We’re extremely happy. That’s exactly what we wanted to get out of this game.
“This was a game to get our subs in, get people in different looks.”
After putting almost constant pressure on the goal in the first 10 minutes, Jay County broke through when the Eagles (2-7-1) were called for a handball inside the 18-yard box. Sophomore Catherine Dunn knocked the ensuing penalty kick off the right post and in at the 28:33 mark to spark the Patriots’ offense.
Andrea Bruggeman assisted on the next JCHS score just 1:30 later when she sent a pass from the right side to Sammi Compton. The senior controlled the ball between a pair of Delta defenders and fired a shot that glanced off of the right foot of goalie Shelby Cumings and into the net for a 2-0 lead.
Delta coach Jacci Glancy said her team, which has been devastated by injuries, had trouble keeping up with the Patriots.
“I have seven people on the injured list and five of them are starters, so it has made a big difference,” said Glancy, whose team was missing forward Alyssa Bauer (knee), striker Angela Lankford (concussion), goalie Delaney McCaslin (broken foot), midfielder Kimmy Mendivel (concussion) and defenders Morgan Sizemore (concussion), Lindsey Welsh (quadriceps) and Kaylin Gibson (ankle). “We’re already a young team with a lot of inexperience … and (the injuries) make a big difference.
“I’m just moving everybody around. Most people are in totally different spots and it’s almost like starting at the very beginning of the year and feeling people out.”
Dunn earned another penalty kick with 23:08 on the clock when she broke through the left side of the Eagles’ defense. She was fouled in the 18-yard box and converted the penalty kick for her second goal.
Jay County needed less than 1:30 to score its final goal of the game. It pushed the ball inside the 18-yard box again and eventually got passes from Lacy Chowning and Bruggeman to Compton, who scored her second goal of the game at the 21:49 mark.
“All of our shots are coming off of a pass, which is what we need and what we’re going to need in the tournament,” said Champ. “We’re not just going to be able to dribble up one-on-one. We’re going to need to get them off of a cross or off of a pass, and that’s where both of those goals came. They both came off of an assist.”
Dunn finished with five shots on goal for the Patriots, and Mariah Bailey, Maddie Bailey and Compton each took two. Starting goalie Brooke Reynard did not face a shot in the opening half while Emily Pogue made one save in the second half to preserve the shutout.
Delta was never able to mount much of an offensive threat, even as Jay County cleared its bench over the final 60 minutes of the game. The Eagles’ best scoring chance came with 11:37 remaining when a shot by freshman Maia Steigerwalt soared just high and over the crossbar.
Jay County will visit sectional champion Yorktown Thursday at 7:15 p.m. before hosting fellow sectional rivals Muncie Southside on Saturday and Muncie Central on Sept. 27. The Patriots lost to Yorktown 3-1 in the 2011 sectional title game.
“We need to go in and play our game,” said Champ of Thursday’s game against the Tigers. “And if we play our game, we’re going to play with Yorktown. … I expect nothing but a very good game.”


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