Patriots rout Starfires

BERNE — Jay County was in need of a confidence booster after losing consecutive games.
Just minutes into their game Saturday with the host South Adams Starfires, the Patriots were all smiles.
Six different Patriots scored goals — a trio scored multiple times — as the Jay County girls soccer team routed South Adams, 12-0.
“It was much needed,” said JCHS coach Giles Laux of the win, after the Patriots lost to Norwell 4-2 in non-conference action Sept. 4 and then 7-1 to Allen County Athletic Conference rival Leo Tuesday. “We were a little down on ourselves.”
It took 22 seconds against the Starfires (1-4, 0-2 ACAC) for Laux and the Patriots to forget about those two losses.
Carmen Lopez notched her first goal of the season on the opening play of the game when a left-footed cross from Gabbie Mann deflected off of her thigh. South Adams goalkeeper Jade Jauregui stopped the ball from hitting the net, but the sideline official ruled that it had crossed the goal line.
Then, the flood gates opened for the Patriots (3-3, 3-1 ACAC).
JCHS junior Gabbie Mann tallied the first of her four goals — her third game with at least three scores — 1 minute, 42 seconds later, then found twine for her second goal 1:48 after her first for a 3-0 Patriot lead.
Just 40 seconds later, junior Sophie Bader scored from the top of the 18-yard box for her first of two goals.
Less than three minutes later, Catherine Dunn, who recorded her first hat trick of the season, put a right-footed shot above Jauregui from 25-yards out to give the Patriots a 5-0 lead 9:04 into the game.
“This is probably the worse we’ve looked all season,” said South Adams coach Aimee Lucabaugh. “The girls didn’t come out ready to play. The girls have been working really hard to improve but we’re not producing on the field.”
The Patriot offense continued to slice through the Starfire defense, notching two more goals to take a 7-0 lead with 24:01 left in the first half.
Bader sent a pass to Dunn, who had to battle with Megan Wynn for possession. When Dunn, a senior, got control of the ball inside the penalty area, she buried her right-footed shot past Jauregui for a six-goal Patriot advantage.
Mann and Dunn both had breakaway opportunities minutes later but came up empty, but then Dunn scored her second goal of the first half when she got past the back line of South Adams’ and tapped a shot into the left side of the net.
Dunn finished her hat trick about six minutes into the second half, and Mann got her fourth goal on a give-and-go with Bader at the top of the penalty area five minutes later.
“Gabbie is a phenomenal player,” Laux said of Mann, adding the junior helps the younger, more inexperienced players know where they need to be on the field. “The girls worked better as a team than I have ever seen.”
In addition to Bader and Lopez recording their first goals of the season, a pair of Patriot freshmen got their first career goals at the varsity level.
Lucy Laux got her first career goal with 9:14 left in the game. Emily Muhlenkamp sent a through pass up the right sideline to Lucy Laux, who then dribbled up field and placed a shot over Jauregui.
Five minutes later, Alex Bader took a pass from Kyra Braun at midfield into the right side of the 18-yard box and sent a shot with her right foot to the left side of the net for her first goal.
“It’s great to see Lucy and Alex Bader score, and earn it,” Giles Laux said. “They had two or three different runs. Alex had a couple other nice shots. These girls are building their confidence to really show what they can do.
“I’m excited for the future of us.”