Thursday, Jun. 02, 2011
State bound
Lady Wildcats shut out Moberly in quarterfinals
They did it. The Lady Wildcats have made it to the final four.
It feels amazing, Harrisonville senior Karson Wilson said. We actually did it. Us seven seniors have played together since we were 8-years-old and we finally did it. This is all we wanted all year long and we did it.
Harrisonville hosted Moberly in the Class 2 girls soccer quarterfinal match-up May 28 at Memorial Stadium.
The contest was scoreless throughout the first period and through most of the second period. But with less than 10 minutes left in the game, the Lady Wildcats were set up for a corner kick. Sophomore Kaley Harkrader kicked the ball into the sea of players, but the ball was kicked away from the goal. Wilson took the ball back around and took a shot, which senior Alex Erickson finished, scoring and giving the Lady Wildcats a 1-0 lead.
It was a sudden relief just to be one ahead, Wilson said. Knowing that we had one up on them and they had to catch us.
Sure there is definitely a sense of relief, Harrisonville head coach Dan Coleman added. But then you got to have that maturity to say we have to get back to the drawing board here because you have a potent offense coming right back at us. If we let down for a second or get too caught up in the moment then they are right back in the game and we are back to square one.
So Harrisonville didnt let down and less than two minutes later, junior Anna Holden broke past two Moberly defenders and scored, sealing the Lady Wildcats 2-0 victory. Senior Sara Clarke earned her 19th shutout of the season with the win.
Harrisonville was in the same place last season in quarterfinals, but lost to Notre Dame de Sion. And this season, the Lady Wildcats, now 23-4, will face their old rivals, now 15-6, in semifinals at 2 p.m. June 3 at Anheuser Busch Center, Fenton.
Words cant even describe how I feel right now, Wilson said. I feel so amazing. We were in the same place right here last year, and we got beat, and this year to see us not be the ones in tears it feels amazing.
This squad is also the first soccer team in Harrisonvilles history, boys or girls, to make it to semifinals.
It also feels great, but I think that was the goal from the onset of the season, Coleman said. We were in this game last year, but we werent successful against de Sion. We knew that not only did we want to get back here, but to take it a step further. It feels great to fulfill that goal.
I am super proud of my girls, he added.
For more photos from the contest, visit www.demo-mo.com/sports/galleries/.





