By Staff
ROLLING ALONG Meridian's David Mowdy, left, and Pearl's Jon Lewis battle for ball possession. Photo by Paula Merritt/The Meridian Star
By Ryan Satcher/The Meridian Star
Nov, 11, 2001
The Meridian High School girls soccer team played solid defense and scored two second half goals to break open a 1-0 game and go on to defeat visiting Pearl, 3-0.
Leanna Baldner and Jill Rush scored in the last 15 minutes of the match to put the game away while Sarah Denham made some great saves to record shutout.
The Meridian High boys team was not as fortunate falling to Pearl, 7-0.
The first half of the girls game had many opportunities for both teams.
One of the best came when Pearl's Jenny Farris made a pass to Molly Nix along the left side. Nix centered the ball to Ann Renee Foster but Foster was unable to get a good foot on the ball and Denham made the easy save.
MHS had some good opportunities of its own. They took advantage of one of those opportunities late in the first half when Kortney Harris passed to Catherine Bryan.
Bryan settled the ball and took a couple dribbles before making a great pass back to Harris on the left side of the field.
Harris got her shot by the goalie for the first goal of the game.
Meridian came right back and tried to finish off the half with another goal when Baldner found Harris in the middle of the box just minutes later.
The blast by Harris hit the goalie and the rebound bounced away harmlessly.
Pearl had a few good chances at a goal but neither team could get a goal in the first part of the second half. Meridian High's Jill Rush changed that when she got a long pass of a free kick from her teammate Kirsten Gambrell and kicked ball into the back of the net.
Late in the second half Baldner added her goal when she broke loose on a breakaway and dribbled by the goalie to put the ball in the net and finish off the scoring at 3-0.
Pearl boys 7
MHS boys 0
Pearl used two goals from Chris Rash and two goals and an assist from Chris Mincey to defeat MHS, 7-0.
Pearl scored just minutes into the game when Andrew Davis stole an errant pass and made a pass to Mincey breaking free at the edge of the box. Mincey took a couple dribbles and blasted the ball in.
Just minutes later Mincey found Rash for another quick goal.
Charlie Melton continued the scoring when he got a loose ball in the box and put it home.
Mincey would finish out the first half scoring with a penalty kick towards the end of the first half.
The second half was not any better for the Wildcats as Joe Torrence kicked a great long ball to Josh Browning for the fifth goal of the game.
Later in the second half Melton's shot was broken up and sent to Brent Garriga. Garriga beat the keeper for another Pearl goal.
Rash finished up the scoring when he split through the defense with the dribble and blasted a shot into the back of the net.
MHS had a few chances to break the shutout.
One came when Leslie Rush broke free and got a good shot on goal. Pearl keeper Matt Paschal protected his shutout with a nice save.
Meridian High School will play in the Northwest Rankin Tournament coming up November 15-17.