Soggy Gremlins rout St. Paul Lutheran to advance

The Sacred Heart and St. Paul Lutheran girls soccer teams went slipping and splashing down the field during the Class 1, District 7 semifinal game on Tuesday on a secondary field at Clover Dell Park. Covered in mud, the Gremlins slid into a 4-0 victory.

“The field was sloppy and if we would have played down on our normal game field, it would have been a better game for us,” Sacred Heart coach Carlos McField said. “A dryer field allows us to possess the ball better.”

The Gremlins (14-8-1) will play in the championship game at 6 p.m. Thursday against the winner of the Barstow and Lee’s Summit Community Christian game, which was played late Tuesday.

Sacred Heart scored four goals in quick succession during the first half. The Lady Saints were not able to stop the strong offensive front.

The Gremlins’ Rachel Fritz shot the ball at the top of the goalie box. The ball hit the crossbar, where the Lady Saints goalie was waiting to catch the ball. But the ball bounced off her and into the goal, giving the Gremlins a 1-0 lead.

Soon after, Sacred Heart’s Johannah Hohne shot far outside the goalie box. The ball bounced in front of the goalie and slipped between her fingers, putting Sacred Heart up 2-0.

Next, the Gremlins’ Claire Fischer dribbled down the right sideline and centered the ball to Erika Beykirch. Beykirch shot the ball around three St. Paul defenders and found the left corner of the net, cushioning Sacred Heart’s lead to three.

For the final goal, Hohne sent another shot from the top right of the goalie box. The ball found the upper left corner of the goal.

Sacred Heart missed 15 shots in the second half.

McField said, “We didn’t feel threatened too much throughout the game, so I think the girls’ focus waned (in the second half). They started thinking about Thursday night.”

Kelli Lamb made two saves for Sacred Heart, and the St. Paul Lutheran goalkeeper made 10 saves.