Patriots subdue jitters to win 6-2

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Jitters and excitement got the best of the Patriots.

Luckily for them, the miscues offensively only prevented a wider margin of victory.

Breea Liette and Lucy Laux both had a pair of goals, including one each less than 30 seconds apart, as the Jay County High School girls soccer team opened its season with a 6-2 victory against the Richmond Red Devils on Monday.

“If we hit our shots we run away with it,” said JCHS coach Giles Laux, whose team last defeated the Red Devils in 2012. “I still don’t think we were hitting our shots. I still think we’re getting our soccer legs, trying to find them.

“I am very proud of them. They did a phenomenal job.”

To be precise, “phenomenal” was a word Laux used on a half dozen occasions.

Once was to describe the scoring chances his team had early. Lucy Laux nearly scored within the first minute. Mikele Suman, Kendra Muhlenkamp and Laux all had opportunities before three minutes had come off the clock.

And just past the five-minute mark, Breea Liette put the Patriots on top on a through pass from Hannah Phillips.

“We had the jitters, butterflies,” the elder Laux said. “We were so excited to get to play someone else besides ourselves.”

Another was in reference to the sixth and final goal, a left-footed shot from sophomore Anhely Montes in the final minute of the game.

“Right when it left her foot it looked good,” Laux said.

Richmond (0-1) netted the equalizer with 12 minutes to go in the first half to tie the score at one apiece. Braxtyn Hurley was at the right side of the field, sent a cross pass into the box that Nakala Bennett headed to the short side past JCHS goalkeeper Shelby Caldwell.

“We’ve talked about that,” Laux said. “It is a matter of a breakdown by our defense. It is one of those things that is going to happen. We’re not going to let it bother us.”

Five minutes later, it was evident they didn’t.

Lucy Laux scored the go-ahead goal, the first of her two tallies, as the Patriots (1-0) never trailed the rest of the way. The senior forward stole the ball just inside the Patriots’ offensive side of midfield, dribbled to the right side of the zone and deflected a shot off goalkeeper Courtney McNew that hit twine on the far part of the goal.

Jay County had a 2-1 advantage at halftime, and scored twice within 30 seconds after intermission for a commanding 4-1 lead.

In the 57th minute, senior Sydnee Lee had a flip throw from near the Patriots’ bench bounce past the Richmond defenders, and Kendra Muhlenkamp beat the Red Devils to the ball. Muhlenkamp beat McNew for her first goal of the year, and 28 seconds later Liette slammed home a rebound on a shot from Laux.

“Exactly what we plan in practice,” Giles Laux said. “When (Sydnee) gets up, they back up. Boom, she throws it over everybody, Kendra runs and gets it and throws it in. Beautiful.”

He said Liette’s goal was beautiful too, equating it to crashing the rim in basketball going for a rebound.

Richmond’s Payton VanMiddlesworth trimmed into the deficit by beating Caldwell with 6:22 to play before Laux notched her final goal with less than three minutes to play.

Laux also commended the play of his midfielders, Alex Bader, Hannah Phillips, Montes and Suman for making a relatively easy evening for the defense by keeping the Red Devil offense subdued. Caldwell had 11 saves, eight of which were during the first half.

“They’re all great players, great girls,” Laux said. “Bader is the leader of the midfield. She is a well-seasoned veteran. That was a key to letting our offense do what they have to do instead of do everything, which is what I felt (Richmond’s) defense had to do.

“All across the board, up and down, did a nice job.”



Junior varsity

Jay County showed its dominance over Richmond this season with a 2-0 victory.

Payton McCoy and Eliza Bader both tallied goals for the Patriots (1-0).

Gwen Omstead made four saves as the JCHS goalkeeper.