Delta tops JCHS (10/09/2008)

The Patriots jumped out to a lead in their final game of the regular season. They just couldn't make it last.

The visiting Delta Eagles needed less than eight minutes to pull even, and then scored three times in the second half to beat the short-handed Jay County High School girls soccer team 4-1.

"I think we had a little bit more depth than they did," said Delta coach Lance Engle, whose roster has 23 players while the Patriots were limited to using one substitute for most of the game. "We controlled the ball better in the second half.

"But they play tough. They came out harder than we did in the first half."

That showed in the opening 10 minutes when the Patriots (2-11-1) tallied the game's first goal.

The scoring play started from the defensive end, where Tiffany Huelskamp passed to Brianne Wellman. The senior pushed across midfield and eventually sent the ball ahead between a pair of defenders.

Huelskamp and Mallory Poole converged on the ball along with a couple Eagles, and it deflected off of them and toward the goal. Loryn Horn was first to the ball, and she shot past goalie Amanda Foreman for the 1-0 lead with just 5:16 off the clock.

Horn's score was the first in three games for the Patriots after difficult losses of 1-0 to Blackford and 2-0 to Muncie Central.

"We were ready to play from the start, as indicated by getting on the scoreboard first," said JCHS coach Ed Wellman.

"We played tough the entire match and we didn't have one girl out there tonight that didn't hustle or play her position to the best of her ability. Physically we just wear out. But we compete. We don't give up."

Delta (7-9) evened the score with 27:05 on the first-half clock when Kayleigh West broke through the JCHS defense. She sent a high shot just inside the left post, and the ball deflected off of goalie Mollie May's hands, over her head and in for the score.

The remainder of the first half was a deadlock before the Eagles broke through after the intermission.

Delta grabbed the lead on a long goal by Marissa Walters just over eight minutes into the second half. Five minutes later May made a nice diving save only to have the ball bounce away from her and Morgan Whitehair send it in for a 3-1 Eagle lead.

The final Delta goal came from freshman Kaitlin Clawson with just 6:04 left in the game.

"We just communicated a little better," said Engle of Delta's ability to control the action in the final 40 minutes. "We lost our starting sweeper (Noelle Dirlam) about a week ago, so we've been adjusting to that. I think we took some big steps in the second half."

While Loryn Horn had the only JCHS goal of the game, her sister LeAnn turned in the other highlight.

With the Patriots trailing 2-1 May came away from the goal to try to take the ball away from one of the Delta forwards. However the ball bounced high and was headed toward the net before Horn saved a score by knocking the ball safely out of bounds with a header.

Wellman also complimented sophomores Mallory Poole and Lindsay Moser, who played increasingly important roles for the short-handed squad.

"Mallory Poole played tough tonight," he said. "Offensively she stood her ground and stayed with the ball longer, creating more opportunities advancing the ball both individually and to her teammates. She kept pressure on Delta's backline defense, which created more opportunities for us in our offensive third of the field.

"LeAnn continues to play outstanding defense ... highlighted by a huge header that saved us a goal in the second half.

"Lindsay Moser also played another good match. Lindsay has brought energy and hustle to several positions that we've asked her to play the last several matches. She is developing a real good understanding of the game and is a very team-oriented player."

The game marked the final home appearance for seniors Brianne Wellman, Kaelee Keller and Tricia Skiver. The Patriots will play Eastern (Greentown) in the quarterfinal round of the sectional tournament at Marion's Ballard Field Tuesday at 5 p.m.

"I'm sure this season has not gone exactly like our seniors hoped it would, but I think they realized that their biggest role this year would be for them to be steady and positive leaders for our inexperienced players to look up to," said Wellman. "Our seniors can hold their heads high, because they are the main reason our young players are improving so well and why we are playing our best soccer of the year."

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