Roxana goalie Sydney Ufert makes a save while being pressured by Remmi Copeland of Marquette Friday at Glazebrook Park in Godfrey.
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Maggie Pruetzel of Marquette (5) controls the ball against Roxana’s Savannah Cline Friday at Glazebrook Park in Godfrey.
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Savannah Cline of Roxana (11) settles the ball as Marquette’s Remmi Copeland closes in Friday at Glazebrook Park.
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Izzie Hough of Marquette, left, moves the ball against Roxana’s Sophia Powers (6 in white) and Gianna Stassi (7) Friday at Glazebrook Park in Godfrey.
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Roxana girls soccer coach Lori Yates shouts instructions to her team during Thursday’s game against Marquette at Glazebrook Park in Godfrey.
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Gianna Stassi of Roxana (7) controls the ball as teammate Savannah Cline (11) moves upfield Friday at Glazebrook Park
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Rylie Jacobs of Marquette (13) moves the ball against Roxana’s Nova Shaw Friday at Glazebrook Park in Godfrey.
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Marquette goalie Jessica Eales keeps her eye on the ball as Roxana’s Savannah Cline approaches Friday at Glazebrook Park in Godfrey.
Pete Hayes/The Telegraph
GODFREY – As he watched his players warm up and then start Friday’s game against Roxana, Brian Hoener had an uneasy feeling about his Marquette Catholic girls soccer team.
Something seemed off, so Hoener did something about it. Eventually, the Explorers went on to a 6-1 win at Glazebrook Park, but not before Hoener made a brief, but effective, adjustment.
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“Something wasn’t right,” Hoener said. “I didn’t like where we were mentally. Everything was out of whack because of the rain delay and lightning delay.”
About nine minutes into the game, Hoener tried something to rectify the situation. He subbed everybody out, except center back Maddie Waters and goalie Jessica Eales. The nine new players remained on the field for some 12 minutes before the starters went back in.Â
The game started some 30 minute past the scheduled 4:30 p.m. kickoff because of a downpour and a lightning delay.
“I think we thought we could just show up and get a result,” Hoener said. “It wasn’t everybody, but it was enough people I couldn’t figure out who to pick and chose, so I went with as many people as I could on the bench.”
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“It still took us a while, but I think the girls got their rhythm back,” Hoener said. “But I also think a lot of our problem had something to do with the Shells. They came out hard, they’re well coached, they were focused and they made us work.”
The Explorers led just 1-0 at halftime on a goal by Alex Stephan, assisted by Alivia Noss. Marquette slowly pulled away in the second half.
“We’re lacking up top finishing,” Roxana coach Lori Yates said. “We’re missing people with injuries and we’re moving people around, sometimes to positions they’re not used to playing.
“But we’re getting better every game, getting more aggressive and getting our shape down.”
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The Shells kept Marquette at bay most of the first half, thanks to aggressive midfield play and the goalkeeping of Sydney Ufert, who made four saves in the half, including a point-blank save on Marquette’s Remmi Copeland directly in front of the goal.
“She’s never played goal before this year, but we needed her,” Yates said. “Sydney is a great athlete. She knows the game and she’s fearless – she’s a wrestler.”
Ufert also saved a penalty kick in the second half, stopping Izzie Hough’s attempt with 27:03 remaining in the game after Stephan was fouled at the to of the Shells’ penalty area.
The Explorers doubled their lead four minutes later when Hough overtook a through pass from Stephan down the middle of field between a pair of Roxana defenders. She outraced them to the ball, then put it past Ufert to make it 2-0.
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Waters moved up from the back line to score out of a scrum of players in front of the goal on a corner kick by Emma Dempsey with 24:16 remaining to put Marquette ahead 3-0.
With 11:08 left, Marquette’s Rylie Jacobs scored on a direct free kick from about 20 yards to make it 4-0.
Roxana’s Gianna Stassi scored on a direct free kick from about 20 yards out with 5:40 remaining. The ball struck the bottom of the crossbar and bounced down over the line.
“Stassi’s a really strong player,” Hoener said. “It wasn’t just that goal, either. She had some really good distributions, some really good passes. I knew she was going to strike the ball well.Â
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“If he other team isn’t creating a lot of offense, you can’t give one of their best players an opportunity to shoot the ball from 20 yards out. When you give her an opportunity like that, she can make plays.”
The Explorers responded with back-to-back goals to cap the scoring. Katherine Fitzgerald scored from a Jacobs assist with 5:40 left to make it 5-1. Then Waters scored off another Dempsey corner kick to make it 6-1 a minute later.
Roxana will host Breese Central next Thursday. Marquette will play at Maryville Christian Tuesday, at Freeburg Wednesday, then will play at city rival Alton High Friday, April 24 at Public School Stadium.
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