The Waynesville Tigers defeated the Lebanon Yellowjackets, 1-0, in a matchup between the Ozark Conference rivals. Waynesville earned revenge after losing to the Lady Jackets last year by the same score.
It was a cold, blustery night that did not keep the girls from playing a very physical game.
“I don’t think the conditions had an effect; it was cold for everybody and I think once the girls got out there, adrenalin took over and they didn’t even feel it,” said Lebanon coach Matt Jernigan. “It was a little physical out there, but it’s a rivalry game. Both teams had been looking at this one since last year. We knew it would be a physical game, Waynesville always fights hard and so do our girls.”
“It was cold tonight, certainly,” said Waynesville coach Mike Gow. “I don’t think it affected our play, though, it didn’t bother us much. The girls probably were just a little bit hyped up to play the game tonight because we really wanted to get this win under our belts. Last year we lost to them 1-0 and this year we wanted to take care of that.”
The first half saw no scoring, as both teams went through periods in which they dominated the ball. Waynesville had the best scoring opportunity in the first half but Lebanon sophomore goalkeeper Abbey Schmidt made an outstanding save on a high shot. In the first half, Lebanon mustered three shots and Waynesville had four.
In the second half, the physicality increased as both teams pushed and shoved their way into gaining control of the ball. Midway through the second half, Waynesville senior midfielder Katelyn Sieber received a pass from junior Krystina Zabek. Sieber took a sliding shot that she pushed past the goalie for the lone score of the game.
“We had a few plays that didn’t really work out,” said Sieber, “so we adjusted at the half and started sending it more outside or sending it through the defense to go to the forwards.”
Gow was proud of his midfielder’s second goal of the season.
“Katelyn Sieber is just a ferocious little player, we put her up at forward and she scored that goal,” said Gow. “She is very focused and determined to get to the ball. She’s a good leader; she talks to the girls and she says things to them that are correct. She says things that they need to fix and she is right. I can’t argue with that. She’s good at that; it’s like having another coach on the field.”
Jernigan was proud of his girls’ effort and thought his defensive players played well.
“Becca Tucker and Mariah Mitchell, the two of them just really were impressive,” said Jernigan. “We knew coming into this game that it was going to be tight. It came down to just a couple little mistakes and just happened to fall on Waynesville’s side this time.”
Not content to sit on a 1-0 lead, Sieber and the rest of the Tigers kept their focus and continued to pressure the Yellowjacket defense. The conditions outside had no effect on either team.
“It’s a mental thing,” said Sieber. “If you think its cold, you’re going to be cold, but if you just work on the game, focus on the game, you’ll be alright.”
The defense on both sides played very well, allowing just 9 shots for Lebanon and 12 shots for Waynesville.
“Our keeper, D’Anna Hasik, played a really nice game back there as far as directing,” said Gow. “Emily Lucitt, our center back, did a nice job of calling numbers to let everbody know who they needed to mark up. We’re a fast team, we have a little bit of speed in some different places, and it worked out for us.”
“This was a heck of a battle–two good teams battling it out,” said Jernigan.
Waynesville 1, Lebanon 0
Waynesville 0-1—-1
Lebanon 0-0—-0
First half
No scoring
Second half
Waynesville—Katelyn Sieber (Assist – Krystina Zabek)
Shots on Goal
Waynesville 12
Lebanon 9
