Two quick Central goals end run by Patriots (09/289/06)

The Bearcats were able to heat up just before the cold rain came falling down.

Muncie Central scored both of its goals within a span of just over one minute in the second half, breaking up 55 minutes of scoreless soccer on a cold, windy Thursday night. The Bearcats and host Patriots played the final 15 minutes in a chilly drizzle, with Jay County's girls soccer team unable to get on the scoreboard in a 2-0 defeat.

"We finally made a play up front," said Muncie Central coach Bryan Murray, whose team improved to 10-4 and kept its perfect record against the Patriots in tact. "We've been struggling. We hit metal in the first half. I'd say we've probably hit metal seven or eight times in the last four games.

"Really it just came down to we just needed to make a play up front. We put a couple of our reserve forwards in and they gave us a lift and got it going."

In a game which looked headed for a scoreless deadlock, the Bearcats took the lead thanks to a deflection.

Allyson Humphrey passed from the left side, finding Latosha Smith with several defenders nearby. Smith took a shot, and Jay County goalie Abby Loy started to her left to stop the ball.

But the ball deflected off the leg of a Patriot defender. The change of direction threw Loy off balance, and she was unable to recover in time as the ball rolled to the left corner of the goal for a 1-0 Bearcat lead.

Muncie Central got its second score just 1:09 later. It pushed the ball up the right side of the field, and a pass to the middle found Humphrey streaking toward the goal.

Humphrey flew through the middle of the Patriot defense and shot past Loy to the left corner for the 2-0 lead with 23:18 remaining.

"Allyson Humphrey is the one who got it done," said Murray. "She had a goal and an assist. She made big plays up front and got us on the board.

"We've been working on rotating on the back side with our forwards. We started in, came back out and we one-touched both those balls through ... You have to run your slots and run your position and they were right there and put it home."

Murray also praised goalie Michelle Lowe for the shutout as well as stopper Lindsey Studebaker, who was playing for the injured Jessica Blankenbaker.

Jay County coach Sue Rager said she had no explanation for why the game unraveled so quickly.

"It did, I don't know why, it just did," said Rager. "When they scored the two goals, that was it.

"In the first half we were doing everything right, we just couldn't get the ball in the net. Everyone was passing well and we were playing well together."

Pazia Speed and Sara Garringer each had good shots in the final 20 minutes - Jay County took eight shots on goal in the second half - but none were able to get past Lowe.

The Patriots (8-4-1) had 19 shots on goal for the game compared to 15 for Muncie Central (10 in the second half). Garringer, a senior, had five shots on goal in the final home game of her career, Tequila Guntle took four and senior Nicole Pfeifer added three.

The loss ended a four-game winning streak for the Patriots, who now have 11 days off before playing South Adams in the Marion sectional Oct. 10. It was just the second time they were shut out this year, the other coming in a 4-0 loss to Norwell Aug. 30.

"We're going to work on our passing," said Rager, whose team lost 6-1 to South Adams Sept. 9. "Everything goes back to passing and shooting - basics."

Also playing their final home game along with Garringer and Pfeifer were seniors Caitlin Dunn (one shot), Jennifer Logue, Heather Ayers and Jessica Morgan.

"The seniors will be missed," said Rager. "It's nice because even though all six of them are not captains, they all take leadership roles with the team."[[In-content Ad]]