MONMOUTH

It isn’t just their motto. It’s their plan of action.

When the Monmouth Academy girls’ soccer team takes the field, the Mustangs want to start warm and heat up quickly. It might just result in the early lead, sending the Mustangs on their way.

“In the past, we’ve had a really hard time getting going right off,” senior Sidney Wilson said. “So that’s why this year, our little saying is ‘Ignite, get the fire started early.’ That’s always been a problem.”

It wasn’t an issue Saturday. The Mustangs scored twice in the span of 27 seconds early in the first half. There was little Lisbon was able to do to answer that. Monmouth controlled the game from there for a 5-0 Mountain Valley Conference win.

Wilson and Haley Fletcher each had a pair of goals for the Mustangs, while Tia Day added another. The Mustangs (5-0) have now scored 34 goals in five games and have not allowed a goal, yet.

Monmouth had plenty of scoring chances, hitting the cross bar numerous times and the post once. The Mustangs outshot the Greyhounds (2-3) 28-5, but getting the quick goals early was important.

“Last year, we played them and took 40 shots and they took five and it was 2- 2,” Monmouth coach Gary Trafton said. “You have to take our opportunities to get those. The girls played well today. They passed the ball really well.”

The Mustangs likely would have scored more had it not been for the play of Lisbon goalkeeper Ally Sult. She made 18 saves despite an injured wrist and taking numerous shots off the face. She just happens to be the niece of Monmouth assistant coach Butch Dow.

“She was a first team allconference goalie last year,” Lisbon coach Jake Gentle said. “She played through it. She’s great to have back there. She communicates well. She’s a wall. Defensively, we did the best we could for her.”

Quick lead

Monmouth controlled play from the start and took the quick lead just 8:20 into the game. Wilson fired a shot from the outside that hit a Lisbon defender’s head and skipped in.

“We had a corner kick and my job is to stay backside,” Wilson said. “I just kind of read it, and it came to me. I just tried to hit the far corner, and it ended up working out.”

That goal gave the Mustangs a lift, and just 27 seconds later, Sammy Grandahl set up Day for the 2-0 lead.

“Since the goalie is really good at getting to the high balls, we were working on crossing it on the ground,” said Day. “That’s what happened. Sammy Grandahl crossed it. It was on the ground. I was open on the backside. We practiced just tapping it in because we wanted to make the goalie dive instead of jumping in the air.”

Lisbon failed to produce the offense to counter that quick lead. Monmouth did a good defensive job and limited what Deliah Schrieber was able to do for the Greyhounds. Hannah Anderson, who also had a pair of assists, did a fine mark-up job on the Lisbon scoring threat.

“It was the plan to keep her close in check,” Trafton said of Schreiber. “She’s dangerous. We play her in the summertime. She can turn on the ball real quick and put it in the net. Hannah played a real good game on her.”

Lisbon did have a threat late in the first half. The Greyhounds had a scramble in front and had a few tries at a loose ball. Monmouth keeper Mikayla Cameron made one diving save while other Mustangs blocked shots and kept the Greyhounds off the board.

“They had two quick ones early but the rest of the 30 minutes, I thought we played really well,” Gentle said. “We had a couple of opportunities off flip throws to put it in. We just couldn’t put it in.”

In the second half, Wilson netted her second of the game with 28:29 left in the game. She took an Anderson pass and broke in for an open shot. Then with 2:29 remaining, Anderson set up Fletcher with a nice cross for a 4-0 lead. Then Fletcher blasted a nice high shot with 7:17 left.

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