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| Lady Jays Soccer Jefferson City High School |
| Lady Jays in the News - 2007 |
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| Jefferson City looks for improvement on soccer offense this season
3/18/07 News Tribune: Seven 1-0 losses, with another defeat coming in penalty kicks. It was a frustrating 2006 soccer season for the Jefferson City Lady Jays. “That's eight of our 10 losses,” Lady Jays coach Chris Miller said. “It wasn't like we didn't have opportunities.” The offensive end was a frustration. But 2007 is a different year with some new faces. “We've done some things to improve that,” Miller said as the Lady Jays get ready to start the season with three games in the Bi-State Shootout in St. Peters. “I think we're much better up front than we were last year.” And a lot of that improvement comes from what Miller says is the “best freshman class” he's had at Jefferson City. “We've got four or five freshman that really can contribute,” he said. Two of the freshman - Kara Steiner and Kelly Strope - will start up front along with junior Kelsey Sanders, last year's leading scorer. If we can score a little bit, it takes the pressure off,” Miller said. Sanders totaled eight goals and seven assists last season despite suffering a pair of concussions. “She had a huge breakout year as a freshman, then had the two concussions that set her back a lot last year,” Miller said. “But she looks much, much better this year.” The youngsters up front are a stark contrast from the veteran defensive unit, led by senior goalkeeper Jessie Sanderson. Sanderson, a three-time all-state selection who had 10 shutouts as a junior, is recovering from a broken wrist she suffered two weeks ago. The co-captain will be ready to play Monday. “Jessie is as good as it gets,” Miller said. She is joined in the back by fellow co-captain and three-year starter senior Rashonda Stanley. “Rashonda is a player who doesn't get her name in the paper very much, but I think she's as good a player around her for what she does for us,” Miller said. Other senior defenders include Jessie Pollard, Kayla Morgan, Samantha Cummings and Devon Spaulding. Emily Downing, a sophomore, and freshman Kinsey Shouse also are in the back. The Lady Jays feature a third three-year starter in senior midfielder Brittany Stegeman. Katie Denning, a junior, will fill a spot at center-midfielder. “She's our anchor there,” Miller said. “A lot of our stuff goes through her. Katie plays that role really well.” Downing and Shouse may play in the midfield as well. Lynna Wood, a sophomore, recently suffered a stress fracture in her foot and will miss the start of the season. Other forwards include senior Brittney Juckette, junior Hannah Mantle, sophomore Taylor Lootens and freshman Molly Cowley. “There's a lot of experience, but out of our key players three are sophomores and at least five are freshmen,” Miller said. “On paper, we look like a bunch of veterans, but we're going to be young in a lot of important spots.” In the Bi-State Shootout, the Lady Jays will play Parkway South, Edwardsville, Ill., and Francis Howell Central on consecutive days starting Monday. “It's really our only chance to play St. Louis-area teams of that caliber,” Miller said. “Anybody we play there is going to be as good as anybody we see the rest of the season.” The Lady Jays will host the Capital City Invitational and play in the Kickapoo Shootout in tournaments in April. The Lady Jays' first home game is Tuesday, March 27, against the Camdenton Lady Lakers. They don't play at home again until a game against Hickman on Tuesday, April 17. |
| Sanderson signs with Drury 3/14/07 News Tribune: Jessie Sanderson of Jefferson City High School has signed a letter-of-intent to play soccer at Drury University in Springfield. Sanderson, a two-time all-state selection by the Missouri High School Soccer Coaches Association at goalkeeper, is an NSCAA/Adidas High School Scholar All-American. Attending a recent signing ceremony with Sanderson were her parents, Carol and Tom Sanderson. Also attending were Lady Jays head coach Chris Miller and assistant coach Matt Stacey. |
| Bi-State Shootout set to kick off another season
3/15/07 St. Louis Post: While this year's 11th annual Bi-State Shootout girls soccer tournament at Sportport in Maryland Heights will be scaled back a bit from past years, it will remain strong in its talent and competition. The 32-team, four-division field boasts six teams that made runs into their respective state playoffs last season. "I've joked with (former Hazelwood Central coach) Mike (Skordos) that if we got any more teams into this thing, we'd have our own 'March Madness,'" said new Central coach Pat Rocco. "I'm looking forward to it. It's a great event because it kicks off the season and you get to see how you stack up with other teams." The tournament is split into red, white, black and gold divisions with two four-team groups in each division. A champion will emerge from each division after Thursday's final round, which comes after three days of round-robin play. Red division Teams in the red division may face the toughest competition because four of the eight teams advanced into their respective state playoffs in 2006. Pool A teams are Columbia, Ill. (which had a 17-6-1 overall record last season and was a second-place finisher in Illinois Class A), Ladue (6-17-1), Wentzville Timberland (17-9-2 and fourth in Class 1) and Trinity Catholic (15-7-3). Pool B teams are St. Charles West (8-12-3), St. Pius X (17-10 and a Class 1 quarterfinalist), Triad (Ill.) (13-8-3) and Visitation Academy (19-8-3 and co-champions in Class 1). "That (group) is going to be an interesting one," Timberland coach JoAnne Drake said. "You hear about teams, but you don't really know all of the details. We really hope things are going to change in the postseason, and playing a team like Columbia (Ill.) can really prepare us for it." The red division's games will be at 7:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday on various fields. The final is set for 8 p.m. Thursday on Field No. 5. Black division - Another tough division could be the black division, which features two state playoff teams and Bi-State division champs from 2006. One pool of the division consists of Fort Zumwalt West (23-5-2 and the Missouri Class 2 runner-up last season), Granite City (Ill.) (24-2-1, an Illinois Class AA quarterfinalist and a Bi-State division champion last season) and Pattonville (17-9-0 and also a 2006 Bi-State division champion). "We are in, I think, one of the toughest brackets with Granite City, Lindbergh and Fort Zumwalt West," Pattonville coach Joe Halley said. "We're prepared. We've been putting in a tremendous amount of work to get ready. The girls are going to give it their best effort and that's all I can ask of them." The other group in the black division features Belleville Althoff (Ill.) (20-4-2), Cor Jesu (16-8-1), Francis Howell North (15-6-4) and Hazelwood West (16-9-1). The games from this division will be played on various fields at 7:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and the division final is set for Thursday at 7:30 p.m. on Field No. 3. Gold division - The gold division features Belleville West (19-5-1), Bi-State tourney division title winner from last season. Other teams in West's group include Fort Zumwalt South (16-5-3), Hazelwood Central (10-13-5) and Parkway West (15-9-1). "The girls really have the goal of wanting to get out of the preliminary round of their own tournament," Rocco said. "They feel that they're better than what they showed last year and we just want to start by playing solid team defense and to go from there." The other foursome in the gold division is Edwardsville (11-7-4), Francis Howell Central (10-10-4), Jefferson City (13-10-1) and Parkway South (10-8-2). This division will play its games at 5:30 p.m. the first three days and the final is set for Thursday at 5:30 p.m. on Field No. 3. "We got into this, last year was our first year, mainly because we wanted the competition," Jefferson City coach Chris Miler said. "Where we are, we know we have to travel. This is a great chance for us to see three teams we wouldn't normally see. We played three very good teams last year and it was great for us in helping us develop and we look forward to it. It's a great way to start the season." White division - One pool in the white division features Kirkwood (8-14-1), McCluer North (7-16-1), O'Fallon (Ill.) (5-13-1) and Parkway North. (7-15-2). The other pool has Wentzville Holt (6-15-0), Alton Marquette (Ill.) (16-4-2), Northwest House Springs (7-13-0) and Webster Groves (11-9-2). The preliminary round games in this division will be played on various fields each night at 5:30. The final is slated for Thursday at 6 p.m. on Field No. 5. Some top names in girls soccer will be returning for this year's event. These include Zumwalt West senior forward Alyssa Mautz (29 goals, 13 assists last season), Althoff junior forward Liz Ebel (22-15), Granite City senior midfielder Tessa Gavilsky (17-23) and a pair of Timberland stars in senior forward Chelsea Johnston (24-10) and junior forward Abbie Albietz (17-23). The tournament also will include plenty of local talent, including Pattonville's duo of senior forward Megan Niederschulte (21-9) and senior midfielder Paige Hickey (11-13), Hazelwood Central senior forward Ali Walsh (10-10) and Hazelwood West junior forward Jesa Jenkins (14-8). The cost of admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students or children. "We travel around to play teams from Missouri and from Illinois because we're centrally located," Granite City coach Gene Briggs said. "This is good because of the level of competition we see. It's just as good or better as the teams we play throughout the year and the travel (to Sportport) isn't that hard." For more information on the tournament's scores, standings and schedules visit www.hazelwoodcentralsoccer.com. |
| Lady Jays go bananas against Camdenton
3/28/07 News Tribune Goals, like bananas, mostly come in bunches. And the Jefferson City Lady Jays grabbed their share Tuesday night. Coming off three shutout losses in last week's Bi-State Shootout in St. Louis, the Lady Jays broke through in a big way against Camdenton, scoring twice in the first 10 minutes on their way to a 6-0 victory over the Lady Lakers at the 179 Soccer Park. “Scoring is all confidence,” Lady Jays coach Chris Miller said. “You get one, you believe you can get another one. “In St. Louis, we were in three games where we couldn't make a mistake and if you get that one opportunity, you had to hit it. But if you get one early, you can relax a little bit and suddenly, the goal gets about 10 times bigger instead of shooting into a coffee cup.” Kara Steiner, a freshman, got the Lady Jays on the board just four minutes into the game. A penalty kick by junior Kelsey Sanders made it 2-0 just eight minutes in. Steiner and senior Brittany Stegeman combined for two goals in the final 10 minutes to give the Lady Jays a comfortable 4-0 halftime lead. Stegeman scored the first off a Steiner assist, then Stegeman assisted on a score by Steiner. “We've been a little predictable, but in this game, we moved the ball a little bit better,” Miller said. Kelly Strope, another freshman, made it 5-0 with a score 10 minutes into the second half. The final score came on a header by Rashonda Stanley off a corner kick. “We noticed we weren't attacking on corner kicks, we were on a heels a lot of the time,” Miller said. “But Rashonda went up and got it.” Jessie Sanderson and Kristen Foster shared time in goal in the shutout. “We showed some growth on the things we were trying to do,” Miller said. “We could see that we were getting better and better and better last week, but it just wasn't showing up on the scoreboard. “This is something that we needed.” The Lady Jays (1-3) will play Thursday at Warrensburg. They don't have another home game until they play Hickman on April 17. In the JV game, the Lady Jays were 4-0 winners over the Lady Lakers. Jenna Foster had two goals, while Kelly Higgins and Kayla Nourse had one each. Mariah McClain was in goal. |
| Another 1-0 decision goes against Lady Jays
3/22/07 News Tribune ST. LOUIS - Second game, same as the first. “It was almost identical to the other night,” Lady Jays soccer coach Chris Miller said after Jefferson City dropped a 1-0 decision to Francis Howell Central in the Bi-State Shootout. “We had more chances than they did, but we did have one little breakdown and they finished and we never could.” The Lady Jays lost 1-0 to Parkway South in their Shootout opener Monday, giving up the game's lone goal in the 47th minute. Tuesday night, the goal came in the 44th minute. “And they were almost identical shots,” Miller said. Dating back to the 2006 season, Jefferson City's last five losses have come by 1-0 decisions. The Lady Jays (2-0) are scheduled to face Edwardsville, Ill., in the event at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. That game was postponed Tuesday due to wet field conditions. |
| Girls Soccer: Lady Jays 4, Warrensburg 1
3/30/07 News Tribune WARRENSBURG, Mo. - The Jefferson City Lady Jays scored three unanswered goals in the second half en route to a 4-1 win over Warrensburg on Thursday. Kelsey Sanders put the Lady Jays (2-3) on the board in the first half, scoring on a free kick. Warrensburg tied the game at 1 three minutes into the second half before Jefferson City broke the game open. Scoring in the second half for the Lady Jays were Taylor Looten, Brittany Stegeman and Kelly Strope. Getting assists for the Lady Jays were Kara Steiner and Hannah Mantle. Jefferson City, which has scored 10 goals in its last two games after being blanked in its first three, is back in action Tuesday at Moberly. In the JV game, the Lady Jays blanked Warrensburg 6-0. Scoring for Jefferson City were Sydney Crafton, Kelly Higgins, Hannah Cliburn, Lindsay Clark and Kelsey Coffman. |
| Soccer: Lady Jays 2, Moberly 0
4/4/07 News Tribune MOBERLY, Mo. - The Jefferson City Lady Jays scored two goals in the final three minutes of play Tuesday night and went on to post a 2-0 win over Moberly. Kelly Strope scored the first goal on an assist by Kelsey Sanders, while Katie Denning knocked in a 30-yarder with 30 seconds left. Jefferson City (3-3) will travel to Quincy, Ill., on Thursday. In the JV action, the Lady Jays romped to a 7-1 win. Scoring for Jefferson City were Abbey Rhea, Jenna Foster, Ashley Moore, Kelsey Koffman, Haylei Osborn and Katie Evers. |
| Girls Soccer: Lady Jays 2, Quincy 1
4/6/07 News Tribune QUINCY, Ill. - The Jefferson City Lady Jays stretched their winning streak for four straight with a 2-1 victory over Quincy, Ill., on Thursday. After a scoreless first half, the Lady Jays built a 2-0 lead and held on for the win. Kelsey Sanders scored on a free kick and Molly Cowley also scored for the Lady Jays (4-3). Jessie Sanderson stopped five shots in goal for Jefferson City, which plays at Rock Bridge on Tuesday. In the JV game, Destiny Galbreath and Kesley Coffman scored goals as the Lady Jays (4-0) posted a 2-0 win. |
| Girls Soccer: Lady Jays fall 2-0
3/25/07 News Tribune ST. LOUIS - The Jefferson City Lady Jays dropped a 2-0 decision Saturday to Edwardsville, Ill., in the Bi-State Shootout. Edwardsville scored both of its goals in a four-minute span in the second half. “We made two mental mistakes and it cost us,” Lady Jays coach Chris Miller said. “We played pretty well in the first half and we had probably our two best scoring opportunities of the season early in the second half, but we just missed them wide.” The Lady Jays (0-3) will host Camdenton on Tuesday. |
| Lady Jays 2, Rock Bridge 0
4/11/07 News Tribune COLUMBIA - Kara Steiner and Kelsey Sanders scored goals as the Jefferson City Lady Jays dropped Rock Bridge 2-0 on Tuesday. Jessie Sanderson picked up the shutout in goal. Jefferson City, which improved to 5-3 on the season, will play at Hannibal on Thursday. Rock Bridge won the JV game 4-0. The Lady Jays are now 4-1. |
| Bruins shiver through soccer loss to Jefferson City
4/11/07 Columbia Tribune By PHILIP BATSON of the Tribune’s staff In the beginning, the weather was bad. Then it got plain nasty. Playing in conditions that would have postponed the game on a grass field, the Rock Bridge and Jefferson City girls soccer teams battled on a wet, windy and frigid night on Rock Bridge field. As fans scrambled to find any refuge from the weather, the Bruins and Jays did their best to stay warm by running and jumping in place whenever the ball went out of bounds. Staying dry, however, was out of the question in Jefferson City’s 2-0 victory. "That was probably the coldest and rainiest any of us have ever played in," Rock Bridge midfielder Kelsey Eckenrode said. "The ball bounces weird, and we came out flat, so that didn’t help at all." Building an attack was difficult for both teams, and it took two superb individual scoring efforts from Kara Steiner and Kelsey Sanders in the first half to give the Jays the advantage. "Typically we don’t play in this type of weather, but with the new turf field, that’s the one negative thing about it, is that games typically aren’t canceled because of rain," Rock Bridge Coach Kelly Gates said. "That’s something we’re going to have to get used to." Coming off of a draining scoreless overtime draw with Hickman on Monday night, the Bruins opened on the attack and forced a diving save from goalie Jessie Sanderson in the first minute of play when Eckenrode launched a shot from the top of the box. But like the other five shots Rock Bridge (2-3-1) put on Sanderson’s goal, the two-time first-team all-state selection was there to catch, smother or punch away any ball that came near her. "Unfortunately, the Jeff City goalie is solid, which makes it very difficult because even some of our best shots were stopped," Gates said. Rock Bridge couldn’t sustain its early level of play and fell behind in the 22nd minute, when Steiner drilled an 18-yard shot into the back right corner. Collecting the ball at the left corner of the box, Steiner touched the ball around a defender before taking her time to shoot with no Bruin closing her down. Lauren Kelly came close to answering for the Bruins but hit her low, left-footed shot just wide five minutes later. As the rain and wind intensified, Jefferson City (5-3) added to its lead. In the 31st minute, Sanders collected the ball 30 yards out from goal. Weaving her way through three defenders, Sanders calmly chipped a sublime effort over sliding goalie Tiffany Harris at the 6-yard box. "Both of them made plays, and that’s something that we’ve lacked in the past," Jefferson City Coach Chris Miller said. "We had some kids step up and make plays, which was the difference tonight. Rock Bridge, on the whole, was probably better than us tonight. They had better possession and probably had better opportunities, just we had people make plays in the box." Trying to find offense in the second half, Gates put three forwards in. The Bruins had used the same tactic against the Kewpies during overtime and created numerous dangerous chances. The same form could not be replicated against the Jays. Rock Bridge’s best chance in the second half came in the 64th minute when Kelsey Reimler forced Sanderson to dive backward and punch a high shot over the crossbar. |
| Lady Jays win two
4/15/07 News Tribune SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - The Jefferson City Lady Jays kept their winning streak alive by posting two wins in the rain-shortened Kickapoo Shootout on Saturday. After all games were canceled on Friday, the Lady Jays opened up their two-game set with a 2-1 win over Gilbault. Molly Cowley gave the Lady Jays, who've won eight straight game, a 1-0 lead in the first half, before Gilbault tied it up with 10 minutes left in regulation. Kesley Sanders and Cowley scored both of their penalty kicks, while Jessie Sanderson stopped three penalty kicks to seal the win. In the afternoon game, Sanders and Cowley each scored a goal, as the Lady Jays blanked Parkway West to win their four-team division. Sanderson recorded the shutout in goal. Jefferson City is back in action at home against Hickman on Tuesday. The varsity game is set to begin around 6:45 p.m. |
| Lady Jays come home to earn win
In first home game in 3 weeks, Lady Jays down Hickman 4/18/07 By Tom Rackers of News Tribune The Jefferson City Lady Jays had a great unofficial Homecoming on Tuesday night. Playing at home for just the second time in 12 games this season, and the first time at 179 Soccer Park since March 27, the Lady Jays posted a 1-0 win over the Hickman Kewpies. There's no place like home. “We learned a lot in that stretch,” Lady Jays coach Chris Miller said. “We fought through a little adversity with bad weather and other things to fight through, but it nothing else, we grew up quick.” And learned how to win. Tuesday night's victory was Jefferson City's (9-3) ninth straight. “We're getting results,” Miller said. “Sometimes I think we do it with smoke and mirrors, but when you get on a roll like we've been on, good things seem to happen to you.” Good things happened for the Lady Jays on the game's lone goal. With about 28 minutes left in the second half, Kelsey Sanders set up for a Jefferson City corner kick. She booted the ball to the front of the Hickman net where Emily Downing was waiting unattended to knock it home. “When things are going for you, the ball seems to find your feet and you put it in,” Miller said. “There are times where that shot is 20 feet over the net or at the keeper, but right now, we're doing enough to get by. “We're not playing to our ability yet, but we're doing enough to win.” The score was a big payoff for a strong second-half start for the Lady Jays, who didn't seem to have much of a spark in the opening 40 minutes. “We spent all day preparing for the way Hickman plays and we came out and didn't do a thing,” Miller said. The Kewpies had scoring chances throughout the game, but were turned back by Lady Jays keeper Jessie Sanderson and Jefferson City's backline. “Our defense did a great job winning balls,” Miller said. “It didn't look real pretty, but it didn't allow them to run at us.” The Kewpies finished with 11 corner kicks, but could do little with them. “Jessie won three or four of them and we dodged most of the other ones,” Miller said. They dodged a big one late in the game when defender Kayla Morgan headed out a shot by Hickman's Liz Gayer while standing at the far post. “We kind of lost track of Gayer and she's incredibly fast,” Miller said. That was the highlight in a nerve-racking final few minutes for the Lady Jays. “Our decision making in the last 10 minutes was ... shaky,” Miller said. Part of that may have been due to fatigue. The Lady Jays were without four players who see a lot of time. “We had to dig in deep because we were tired,” Miller said. Hickman is now 3-7-1. The Lady Jays will host Quincy Notre Dame on Wednesday. The JV game will start at 4 p.m., followed by the varsity contest around 5:45 p.m. Jefferson City will also host the Capital City Invitational this weekend, opening against Joplin at 7 p.m. Friday before playing two more games Saturday. Tuesday's JV game ended in a scoreless tie. Kristen Foster was in goal for the Lady Jays. |
| Kewpies lack finish
Offensive chances come up short in loss to Jays. 4/18/07 By PHILIP BATSON of Columbia Tribune JEFFERSON CITY- The Hickman girls soccer team really needed this chance to go in, maybe more so than any attempt all season. The Kewpies needed to finally be rewarded for their efforts on the offensive end. Instead, Hickman was left with just another good chance that lacked the finish. This might have been the cruelest of all when Jefferson City senior Kayla Morgan cleared a header from Liz Gayer off the goal line to preserve a 1-0 win for the Jays last night at 179 Soccer Park. "It was a beautiful header," Hickman Coach Jon Strodtman said. "It was textbook. Every game we have a couple opportunities that are just textbook, and they’ve got to go in. And we just can’t manage to get them in." From his angle, Jefferson City Coach Chris Miller thought Gayer’s shot was going wide. Fans’ and players’ opinions on the play differed. Gayer made a cutting run from her central defender position on a corner kick from Edith Lopez in the 66th minute. Gayer latched onto the ball with a powerful header, driving it toward the far post. With all-state goalie Jessie Sanderson beaten on a rare occasion, it looked like the Kewpies (3-7-1) would tie the match and finally be able to release the burden of their goal-scoring woes. "We should be winning a couple of these games, and we’re just not doing it," Strodtman said. "They’ve got to find something in them that’s just going to push it into the net." Only Morgan stood in the way, and she wasn’t budging from her stakeout on the left post. Perfectly positioned, Morgan headed away Hickman’s best chance of the night to give the Jays (9-3) their ninth straight win. "We put people on the post for a reason," Miller said. "It was spot-on. Our girl just did her job. Those little things have been going our way lately." It was also Hickman’s best chance off of their 10 corner kicks in the game, four of which ended up in Sanderson’s hands and another sailing out of bounds before it even reached the box. While the Kewpies wasted their free-kick opportunities, the Jays pounced on their third and final corner kick of the game in the 53rd minute. Kelsey Sanders sent a ball into the middle of the box that bounced before the Hickman defense could only get a weak clear to the top of the box. There, Emily Downing was waiting. She took a touch before firing a shot through a crowd and toward the goal. As goalie Kelsey Mescher dived to make the save, the ball deflected off of Gayer and popped over the outstretched arm of Mescher as she flailed to recover. "It’s just disappointing that we lose off something like that," Strodtman said. "That’s just the way our season’s been so far." A sleepy first half was controlled by the Kewpies as their offense showed improvement in moving the ball and putting pressure on Jefferson City’s defense. Still, the best shot the Kewpies could get was a slow redirection from Sara Borgmeyer into the arms of Sanderson after Caitlin Keith turned the corner on the right side of the box and centered the ball to the near post. Both teams came out stronger in the second half. Three minutes in, Lopez whizzed a shot from the right side of the box across the face of the goal. Jefferson City also began to find holes in Hickman’s defense. A tactical change in the way the Jays moved the ball forward opened up scoring chances and allowed them to put four shots on goal after having none in the first half. |
| Lady Jays edge Quincy, run winning streak to 10 straight
4/19/07 By Tom Rackers , News Tribune It's now two handfuls of wins. The Jefferson City Lady Jays ran their winning streak to 10 games Wednesday night, downing the Quincy Notre Dame Lady Raiders 2-1 at the 179 Soccer Park. “Sometimes you make your own luck, you make things happen,” Lady Jays coach Chris Miller said. “That was just a gutty effort.” Banged-up, coming off a tough win over Hickman on Tuesday night and with the Capital City Invitational looming this weekend, the Lady Jays could have been excused for taking the night off. “I told them before the game they had every excuse in the world if they wanted to use it,” Miller said. “Our backs were dragging, it was a war (Tuesday) night. “A win or loss in this game, I was just really proud of the effort. We gutted that out.” It was just the second win for the Lady Jays over the Lady Raiders since 1996. “They're a great Illinois program that's had a lot of postseason success and we're coming off a big win over one of our rivals, it really was a character game for us,” Miller said. The Lady Jays broke on top early in the game on a goal by Kelly Strope. The freshman was able to garner control of the ball outside the top of Quincy's box and nudged it into the back of the net. “Some of our freshman are like gnats,” Miller said. “They position themselves well and when you do that, sometimes the ball finds you. “When you're going well, things like that happen.” Early in the second half, the Lady Raiders knotted the game at 1 on score by Erin Thomas. “I was wondering how we were going to respond from that,” Miller said. The Lady Jays responded with a flourish when Kelsey Sanders boomed home a goal off a free kick from about 40 yards out with 25 minutes to play. “We were talking about shooting a little farther out in the second half because there was a bit of a breeze and the sun was still peeking in,” Miller said. “But she's got the leg to get it there. “I wouldn't count on that every time, but it went in. I'm not picky.” The Lady Jays (10-3) open play in the Capital City Invitational at 7 p.m. Friday against Joplin. The Lady Jays are the No. 3 seed. In the JV game, the Lady Jays and Lady Raiders played to a tie at 1. Kelsey Coffman had the goal for the Lady Jays (5-1-2). |
| Lady Jays use familiar recipe to cook up their 11th straight victory
4/21/07 By Tom Rackers , News Tribune This is starting to get a little eerie. “We get a bleeder goal, then we hang on and make things interesting,” Lady Jays coach Chris Miller said after Jefferson City blanked Joplin 1-0 Friday night in the opening round of the Capital City Invitational at the 179 Soccer Park. That recipe has paid off several times in the Lady Jays' current winning streak, now at 11 games and counting. “I don't know what our mentality was tonight, sometimes it doesn't come easy for you or it just doesn't happen for you,” Miller said. “You'd like to win every one 5-0, but it just doesn't happen that way.” The Lady Jays scored their goal with less than a minute remaining in the opening half on a corner kick. Katie Denning, a junior, took the kick for the Lady Jays and put it on the Joplin net. “We don't really want it to get on the net, but it worked out,” Miller said. As the ball approached the mouth of the goal, Kelly Strope of the Lady Jays was flashing in front of the Joplin net. “We run somebody across like that just for balls like that,” Miller said. “The keeper doesn't really see her until the last second and that can be a distraction.” The ball appeared to bounce off a couple of Joplin defenders at the near post before going into the net for the goal. On the other hand, senior defender Rashonda Stanley of the Lady Jays had some tough luck offensively, having two shots go off the crossbar. “There are nights where you're off and there are nights where you're going to have two opportunities and you're going to score on both of them,” Miller said. “That's the game of soccer, the fickle thing that it is.” Stanley has been a jack of all trades so far this season for the Lady Jays. “You hate to have to put so much pressure on her to do all the things we have to have her do,” Miller said. “But we just let her do it.” Miller would like to get a little more offense out of his forwards. “We're really just out of sync up front,” he said. “Our decision-making isn't so great up there all the time. Joplin defended well and you have to credit them.” It was the sixth shutout of the season for Lady Jays keeper Jessie Sanderson. The Lady Jays (11-3) will take on Pattonville in the semifinals at 11 a.m. Saturday. “(Pattonville) has been on a roll lately,” Miller said. The Lady Jays will then play in the championship or third-place game at 3 p.m. |
| Lady Jays down Helias to take third in C.C. Invitational
4-22-07 By Tom Rackers , News Tribune The energy wasn't there and both teams knew it. Before Saturday's third-place game in the Capital City Invitational, the Jefferson City Lady Jays and Helias Lady Crusaders agreed in case of a tie, there would be no overtime played. No extra time was needed as Jefferson City scored early in the second half to beat Helias 1-0 at the 179 Soccer Park. “I don't think you saw either team's best effort,” Lady Jays coach Chris Miller said. “Both teams are evenly matched and it could have gone either way.” “I could tell we were tired before the game even started,” Helias coach Chuck Register said. “Even though inside you know it's a game against J.C., the body just wasn't there.” The goal came early in the second half. The Lady Crusaders failed to clear the ball in front of their net and Molly Cowley of the Lady Jays was there to knock it into the far corner. “We finally had a ball find our feet,” Miller said. “Molly had a nice little finish there. I'm glad we executed, it's tough to score against them, it's tough to win on this field.” How tough? It's the first time the Lady Jays have ever beaten the Lady Crusaders on Helias' home turf. “It was exhaustion,” Register said. “We were walking off the field instead of running or jogging.” “There was no definite decision here,” Miller said. “It was two tired teams struggling through a game and looking forward to getting a day of rest Sunday.” The Lady Jays (12-4) and Lady Crusaders (8-5) will meet again Thursday. “I'm sure the energy level will be a lot higher for that one,” Miller said. III Earlier Saturday, the Lady Jays fell behind 2-0 and dropped a 3-2 decision to Pattonville to snap their 11-game winning streak. “We gave up two silly goals that five seniors in the back shouldn't give up,” Miller said. “But we didn't quit, we came back and made a game of it.” Kara Steiner scored off a Cowley assist to account for one Jefferson City goal. Kelsey Sanders had the other off a corner kick. The Lady Crusaders went to overtime in the semifinals, falling 2-1 to Rockwood Summit. Jenna Gentry had a first-half goal in the loss to Rockwood Summit, who tied it early in the second half before scoring the game-winner midway through the second overtime period. “The weekend was good,” Register said. “We played good competition in every game and we were in every game. This should really prepare us for the rest of the season.” Helias will play Monday at Moberly, while the Lady Jays are slated to play Tuesday at Sedalia Smith-Cotton. |
| Zeroes are the story for Lady Jays and Wildcats
4/29/07 By Tom Rackers , News Tribune One hundred minutes decided nothing. But it was worth watching. “Entertaining for 0-0,” Lady Jays soccer coach Chris Miller said after Jefferson City's scoreless tie against the Hazelwood West Wildcats at the 179 Soccer Park. Entertaining, scoreless and contentious. There was beating and banging all over the field in a game that had all the emotion of a district final. “This is good for us,” Miller said. “We schedule them because they always push us. This is what it's going to be like in two weeks in the districts.” The Lady Jays survived the first half as the Wildcats dominated play with several strong scoring runs. “We were just hanging on,” Miller said. “We were just looking to get to halftime.” The Lady Jays held on due in no small part to the play of goalkeeper Jessie Sanderson. The senior made some big stops in the opening 40 minutes, including one on a breakaway with just over 10 minutes left. “After her game Tuesday (a 2-all tie at Sedalia), one of her worst in four years, you knew she was going to play well,” Miller said. Miller said Sanderson came out early Saturday to get in some extra work before the game. “As a keeper, it's all confidence in knowing that you're going to make plays,” Miller said. “It sounds weird, but sometimes you want your keeper to handle a couple of shots in the first five or 10 minutes to get her hands on it and get her into the game. “Jessie has to feel good about this game, it was a good shutout for her.” But for her teammates, it wasn't a good half. “It was the same old story for us, we go through these lulls where we do a lot of watching and not much making things happen,” Miller said. “And we're not good enough to do that.” There was a new attitude in the second half, with the Lady Jays making some strong offensive charges. “The game opened up in the second half and the two overtimes with both teams trying to get something out of it,” Miller said. “It's good for us not to back down from a challenge like this.” Rashonda Stanley came up big defensively in the second 10-minute overtime period for the Lady Jays, heading out one shot and clearing out another from in front of the net. “Obviously, she's solid as always,” Miller said. “With as banged-up as we are, she's anchored things back there for us. But that's what you expect out of an all-state player, a four-year starter, a captain, run down the list.” The Lady Jays (12-4-2, ranked No. 15 by the Missouri Soccer Coaches Association) will host Rolla Monday for Senior Night. The JV game will start at 5 p.m., followed by the varsity contest around 6:45 p.m. Hazelwood West is now 10-4-4. In the JV game, Jenna Foster scored the Lady Jays' goal in a 2-1 loss to the Wildcats. |
| Cancelled: Lady Jays vs. Helias soccer
4/26/07 By Tom Rackers , News Tribune Update: Thursday's varsity and junior varsity girls soccer games between Jefferson City and Helias at 179 Soccer Park have been cancelled. One thing's for sure. The intensity level will be higher. The Jefferson City Lady Jays and Helias Lady Crusaders played for third-place Saturday in the Capital City Invitational. The third game in less than 24 hours for both, it often looked like the two were playing in slow motion. But the effort for Thursday's game at the 179 Soccer Park figures to be 180 degrees different. That is, as long as the expected rain doesn't cancel the game, scheduled to begin at 6:45 p.m. “I'd love to get this game in, I hope the weather cooperates,” Helias coach Chuck Register said. If it is called off and not rescheduled in the final two weeks of the regular season, Jefferson City's 1-0 victory over Helias would have big district seeding implications. The Lady Jays have not lost to a district opponent this season. “It suddenly becomes a pretty big win for us,” Lady Jays coach Chris Miller said. The Lady Jays (12-4-1, ranked No. 15 in Class 2) have won 11 and tied one in their last 13 games. But Tuesday night's 2-2 tie at Sedalia was one of the season's low points. “You're going to have off-days and we had one (Tuesday),” Miller said. “We played like a dirt sandwich.” A crosstown showdown should be a good chance to regain for the Lady Jays to regain their focus. “Optimistically, yes,” Miller said. “There's good and bad with rivalry games, they can bring out the best in you and they can bring out the worst in you. I'm sure our energy level and focus will be higher, but I'm sure it would be anyway after the kind of effort we put out Tuesday. “Who knows? We may walk out on the field and self-implode or we'll have a great effort.” One of the Lady Jays' strong points this season is depth, but it's being tested with a spate of recent injuries. The injury list rivals an NFL team's - Hannah Mantle, broken leg; Taylor Looten, torn ACL; Emily Downing, concussion; Kinsey Shouse, leg ailment; and Lynna Wood, injured leg. “We are so banged-up, we are doing it with tape and glue,” Miller said. “We're not the same team we were a couple of weeks ago because of it.” The injuries have forced changes in the starting lineup and the in-game playing rotation. “We've kind of hit a low spot in the season,” Miller said. “Everybody has them, this is ours.” The Lady Crusaders (9-5) are getting back to full strength. Helias is still without senior keeper Marcella Buel, but will have Kelsey Mueller back on defense after a recent illness. Defense is the key for the Lady Crusaders, who have allowed just seven goals in their 14 games. “It comes down to playing as tough a defense as we've played this year,” Register said. “It would be great to score at least two, to make things comfortable for me at least.” The Lady Crusaders are coming off a 3-0 win Monday at Moberly. Danielle Baumgartner, Melissa Young and Stephanie Bruemmer scored, while Annie Struemph picked up the shutout in goal. Register believes the Lady Crusaders, who have lost to district opponent Rock Bridge as well as Jefferson City, still have a shot at a top seed in the tournament, which his team will host starting May 12. “I think it's between the two of us (Helias and Jefferson City) for the top seed,” he said. And while Thursday's game has implications down the road, the Lady Crusaders can't place too much emphasis on it. “We just have to play it like another game,” Register said. “We know each other, it's just a matter of getting that one more score than the other team. “It's up to the girls. When the ball gets set and the whistle blows, it's up to them.” The JV game is slated for a 5 p.m. start. |
| Lady Jays tie Smith-Cotton
4/25/07 News Tribune - The Jefferson City Lady Jays and the Sedalia Smith-Cotton Lady Tigers played to a tie at 2 in a weather-shortened game Tuesday. Molly Cowley and Kelsey Sanders scored for the Lady Jays. Cowley's goal was assisted by Kelly Strope, while Sanders scored on a free kick. The game was called off seven minutes into the second half due to bad weather in the area. The Lady Jays (12-4-1, ranked 15th in Class 2) will host Helias on Thursday. The JV game is scheduled to start at 5 p.m., followed by the varsity contest around 6:45 p.m. In the JV game Tuesday, the Lady Jays improved to 10-1-2 with a 4-0 victory. Kristen Foster and Mariah McClain shared time in goal. Lady Jays' goals were scored by Destiny Galbreath, Katie Evers, Haylei Osborn and Gina Vonderhaar. |
| Lady Jays rally to beat Waynesville
5/5/07 News Tribune WAYNESVILLE, Mo. - The Jefferson City Lady Jays rallied from a one-goal deficit with 17 minutes left to play to post a 3-2 win over Waynesville on Friday. Kelsey Sanders tied the game for the Lady Jays with 17 minutes remaining, before the Lady Tigers made it 2-1 a minute later. Rashonda Stanley tied the game at 2 when she scored a goal on a corner kick by Katie Denning. Molly Cowley scored the game-winner for the Lady Jays (15-4-2), heading in a shot off a free kick by Sanders. Jefferson City is back in action Monday at Springfield Kickapoo. In the JV game, Jenna Foster, Kelly Higgins and Kelsey Coffin scored goals as the Lady Jays (13-2-2) blanked Waynesville 3-0. |
| Underclassmen make sure Lady Jays celebrate Senior Night with a victory
5/1/07 By Tom Rackers, News Tribune Two juniors and a freshman saw to it the 10 Jefferson City seniors had a good Senior Night. The juniors - Katie Denning and Kelsey Sanders - combined on the first goal, then freshman Kelly Strope scored the game-winner in overtime as the Lady Jays topped the Rolla Lady Bulldogs 2-1 Monday night at the 179 Soccer Park. “Sometimes these are duds,” Lady Jays coach Chris Miller said. “You have all of the pregame pomp and circumstance and sometimes you forget there's a game. “But this was probably the best Senior Night we've had.” The 10 seniors - Jessie Sanderson, Kristen Foster, Brittany Stegeman, Brittney Juckette, Sam Cummings, Kayla Morgan, Rashonda Stanley, Devon Spalding, Jessie Pollard and Lana McMillan - started the game along with Sanders. “We had some of them playing in a bunch of different positions, but I think for the time they were out there, they played very well,” Miller said. Once the regulars were inserted into the game, Miller didn't see the type of effort he was looking for. “We were playing, but without any purpose,” he said. “I'm not sure we knew there was a goal at the other end.” The Lady Jays broke on the board early off a corner kick in the opening minutes of the second half. Sanders normally performs the kick, but asked to be moved out of that role so she could crash the goal. “She wanted to get in on the corner,” Miller said. Denning took the kick instead and Sanders headed the boot into the net for a 1-0 lead. The Lady Bulldogs evened things up four minutes later on an own goal by the Lady Jays. “Even though we kicked it in, Rolla had six girls beat us,” Miller said. “That's the bad thing. They created it.” That seemed to spark the Lady Bulldogs, who pieced together several rushes at the Lady Jays' net. “Things got a little scary there for a few minutes,” Miller said. “But then we got control of the game back again.” The Lady Jays had a chance to win it with less than two minutes to play in regulation, but Juckette's header ricocheted off the post. Earlier in the half, Sanders had a shot bounce off the crossbar. “I think we hit every inch of that post and crossbar in the second half,” Miller said. “When things like that happen, it makes you wonder if we're going to get one or not.” Strope got the game-winner with just over three minutes remaining in the first 10-minute overtime, knocking a shot to the far post past a sprawling Rolla keeper. “We needed that,” Miller said. The Lady Jays (13-4-2) will play Thursday at Mexico. The Lady Jays won the JV game 1-0. Destiny Galbreath scored, while Kristen Foster and Mariah McClain shared time in goal in the shutout. |
| Lady Jays blast Mexico in soccer
5/4/07 News Tribune MEXICO, Mo. - Molly Cowley scored two goals to help lead the Jefferson City Lady Jays to a 7-0 win over Mexico on Thursday. Jefferson City, which moves to 14-2-2 on the season, got solo goals from Kelly Strope, Emily Downing, Kelsey Sanders, Brittney Juckette and Kara Steiner. Jessie Sanderson got the shutout for the Lady Jays, who will travel to Waynesville on Friday. |
| Girls Soccer: Lady Jays 2, Kickapoo 1
5/8/07 News Tribune SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - The Jefferson City Lady Jays outlasted Kickapoo 2-1 in double overtime on Monday. Kickapoo scored with about 13 minutes left in regulation to take a 1-0 lead, before a score by Kelly Strope off an assist from Molly Cowley tied it. That goal came with about six minutes left in regulation and forced the game to overtime. After a scoreless first OT, Cowley scored off an assist from Kelsey Sanders three minutes into the second overtime to win it. Jessie Sanderson worked in goal for the Lady Jays (16-4-2), who host Timberland on Thursday. In the JV game, Abbey Rhea, Destiny Galbreath and Ciarra Woessner scored goals as the Lady Jays (14-2-2) won 3-0. |
| Jefferson City Jays - 2 (OT)
Kickapoo Chiefs - 1 5/8/07 Springfield Soccer In a game that offered an excellent preview of what could happen in the playoff season, the Kickapoo Chiefs extended the #12 state-ranked Jays to the end of their rope, before losing on a breakaway midway through the second OT period. The Chiefs showed well this evening, using a mix of tactical approaches that forced the Jays to adjust as the game progressed. Both teams called on their goalkeepers early and both Jessie Sanderson (Jeff City & Drury Panthers signee) and Jessica McCutcheon (Kickapoo) came through. Jessica is pictured late in the 2nd half clearing a ball from the box and flattening Roshanda Stanley, the Jays athletic defender (Webster University signee). The Chiefs goal was scored by Paige Blotter in the 67th minute from just outside the six yard box. The goal was a well struck ball that fell to Paige’s feet following a failed clearance. It was a direct result of Chealsey Russell’s decision to get into the box. As the Jefferson City coaches noted following the game, Russell has spent the past three years making an impact on this game and forcing them to find a solution to her efforts. The lead would not hold up however as the Jays tied the match in the 74th minute on a goal by Kelly Strope from Molly Cowley. The game winner came in the 94th minute on a fine individual effort. Freshman forward Molly Cowley, moved towards the right side in anticipation of the diagonal through ball that came from teammate Kelsey Sanders. Cowley’s run into the box gave her another chance to slot the ball past an exposed goalkeeper, after missing two similar opportunities earlier in the match. The win moves the Jays to 16-4-2 on the season. |
| ‘Just enough to get by' gets Lady Jays into district final
5/15/07 By Tom Rackers News Tribune COLUMBIA, Mo. - It worked in the regular season, why change things for the district tournament? The Lady Jays used a familiar formula in the Class 2 District 10 soccer semifinals Monday at Rock Bridge Field - get the lead and hold on. “We've done the ‘just enough to get by' thing all year long,” Lady Jays coach Chris Miller said after top-seeded Jefferson City blanked fourth-seeded Hickman 1-0. With the win, the Lady Jays (17-4-2) advance to meet Rock Bridge (10-6-5) in the title game at 6 p.m. Wednesday. The Lady Bruins topped Helias 2-1 in two overtimes in the second semifinal Monday night. Hickman (8-11-4) had won four of the last five district titles. “They're the big sister around here and for us to beat them is a big thing,” Miller said. The game's lone goal came with just under 10 minutes to go in the opening half when junior Kelsey Sanders curled a 30-yard shot past Hickman keeper Kelsey Mescher. It capped a strong end to the half for the Lady Jays, who last won the district title in 2005. “There's no doubt we controlled that last 20 minutes,” Miller said. But it was all they could get past Mescher, who was strong in the net. “We just couldn't get that second one,” Miller said. The Kewpies turned it up offensively in the second half. “They snuck another girl up on us in the middle of the field and that's something we shouldn't have had a problem with, but for some reason, we did,” Miller said. “Sometimes you get into that setting and you lose your focus a little bit. We were a little out of whack.” Hickman's best scoring chance came midway through the half. The Kewpies worked the ball to the front of the Lady Jays' net where after Caitlin Keith whiffed on her shot attempt before Sarah Brunstrom knocked a hard shot that Jefferson City keeper Jessie Sanderson stopped, bobbled, then fell on. “(Sanderson) kept it out of the net, we'll take it and move on,” Miller said. “The key right now is to get one more than the other team.” The district winner will play in the sectional round at 6 p.m., Tuesday, May 22, at the 179 Soccer Park. |
| ‘Fluky' plays occur as Lady Jays' fall to Lady Bruins in title tilt
5/17/07 By Tom Rackers News Tribune COLUMBIA, Mo. - It wasn't a bad game by the Jefferson City Lady Jays, just a strange one at an inopportune time. The Rock Bridge Lady Bruins scored a goal with eight minutes remaining to post a 2-1 win over the Lady Jays in the Class 2 District 10 title game Wednesday at Rock Bridge Field. “It was an odd game, soccer is an odd game with things you can't control,” Lady Jays coach Chris Miller said. “Fluky things happen.” The biggest fluke came midway through the first half when Lady Jays keeper Jessie Sanderson, a three-time all-stater, came out of the net to corral the ball. “That's not an easy play to make,” Miller said. “You don't see a lot of keepers even try to make that play.” But she bobbled it and Kayla Hauck of the Lady Bruins was there to put it in the net. “It just got away from her,” Miller said. “That one just got magnified.” The Lady Jays came back to tie it at 1 about 11 minutes into the second half on a penalty kick by Kelsey Sanders. It was the 14th goal of the season for the junior. “I told her at the beginning of the year if we got a PK and she didn't immediately set it down and take it, she was coming off the field,” Miller said. It was still tied with about nine minutes left when the Lady Jays were awarded back-to-back corner kicks. After the second, the Lady Bruins took control of the ball and made a quick charge down the field. Rachel Dillon of the Lady Bruins centered the ball from the corner to Kelsey Eckenrode, who was wide-open in front of the Lady Jays' net for the score. “We get two corner kicks and they counter,” Miller said. “Sometimes that happens.” It looked like a blown defensive assignment in front of Sanderson. “We had to switch some things up because they tweaked some things,” Miller said. “The shape we changed to was something we've done before and it's one that we can do. “We didn't want to sit back and wait for something to happen. We wanted to go out and win it.” The Lady Bruins (11-6-5) will head to Tuesday's sectional game at Hickman riding the momentum of Monday night's double-overtime win over Helias as well as Wednesday's late win. “We played our hearts out and the girls deserve it,” first-year Rock Bridge coach Kelly Gates said. “We pointed out in practice Tuesday how great that felt and if they wanted that feeling again, we had to win again (Wednesday).” Wednesday's loss did little to diminish what was a very good season for the Lady Jays, which included an 11-game winning streak. “There is so much placed on what happens at the end of the year,” Miller said. “You put all that emphasis on a one-week period, but this group accomplished so much in the teams we beat and the way we beat them. “We didn't win this, so what? You can't say that this was anything except a successful season. We set a big goal at the end of the year, we wanted to be the best girls soccer team ever in Jefferson City, that's a lofty goal, and I think we accomplished that. Just because we don't have that trophy, I know what this team is and what this team did. “Obviously, we'd like for this outcome to be different, but I wouldn't want this team to be any different.” It was Miller's final game as head coach after five years with the program, finishing with an overall record of 59-29-9 (.660 winning percentage). The Lady Jays won the district title in 2005 and were runners-up in 2003 as well as 2007. “I'm going to miss the kids,” he said. |