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By Dana Harding/For OzarksSportsZone.com
Tradition doesn’t rebuild … it reloads.
It also plays a brutal schedule.
Kickapoo kicked off its 2017 campaign Thursday afternoon with a definitive 8-1 victory over the Arkansas defending 5A state champion Harrison Lady Goblins.
With wind gusts near 30 mph, both teams got off to haphazard starts full of missed opportunities and struggles to maintain possessions.
Kickapoo struck first in the 11th minute when freshman Jalyn McClean knifed her way down the left side of the 18-yard box and blasted a left-footed goal to right post.
The goal seemed to ignite play from both teams, as Harrison worked its way to an equalizer moments later.
A corner kick from Brylie Parker slipped behind the Kickapoo defense to all-state defender Liz Shirley for the equalizer.
The quick answer seemed to energize the Lady Chiefs, who dominated possession throughout the remaining first-half minutes.
Following repeated opportunities inside and around Harrison’s six-yard box, senior Alyson Reinhold brought the ball in from the left sideline, knifed through a pair of defenders and found McClean spotted up just outside the right post for a Kickapoo’s second goal.
Hodge praised his freshman playmaker.
“I think Jalyn’s our fastest kid on the team,” Hodge said. “She just has a knack for being in front of the goal and being in the right place at the right time, creating opportunities for herself and others. She’s an unselfish player who plays the game the right way. You can say her future’s bright, but right now she’s doing some good things for us.”
With a solid roster featuring a pair of all-staters in Reinhold and Annalee Arbeitman, opportunities exist for players to step up and fill exploit roles. Such was the case Thursday with McClean’s first two career goals.
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When asked if she was nervous prior her first varsity contest, McClean didn’t exactly give a typical freshman response. Her calm demeanor is likely due to extensive club experience, and partially due to the fact McClean scored Kickapoo’s lone goal during a preseason jamboree contest against Nixa.
“I kind of got it all out during the jamboree,” McClean said. “There was a little bit of nerves, but you just gotta play it off. It was like me going in between. I found a corner, shot it and there we had it.
With time running down, Kickapoo’s first-half rally found yet another gear.
A Reinhold crosser in the 38th minute found junior Kori Cowger for Kickapoo’s third goal of the match and a definitive momentum swing.
“[Harrison] played four, five or six games already this season,” Hodge said. “We didn’t really mark very well on a set piece and the ball got behind us on their goal, but then we just kind of settled down. We started moving the ball around a little more and took advantage of some opportunities that they gave us.”
Halftime adjustments paid off for the Lady Chiefs, who dominated the ball in the second half and seemed to camp out for extended possessions inside Harrison’s 18-yard box.
A pair of goals from Reinhold and Skylr Houzenga gave Kickapoo a 5-1 lead and some breathing room midway through the period.
“We used a lot of one-v-one opportunities in the final third,” Hodge said. “For the last three weeks all we’ve been working on is little passing patterns in the top of the box, so we were able to get some scoring chances.”
The work paid off, as Kickapoo would go on to score three more goals in the final ten minutes of play.
Cowger, Houzenga and Serena Boyce all jumped into the late rally to give the Lady Chiefs an 8-1 final score.
McClean, Reinhold and Cowger all tallied braces in the game.
Hodge also credited Kickapoo goalkeeper Ari Acuff’s performance in the match.
“Ari’s a competitor, obviously,” Hodge said. “The kid just wants to play and compete … it doesn’t matter what it is. She’s a leader for us, and I’d like to have her back again.”
A three-sport star, Acuff was sidelined for the latter part of basketball season with a high-ankle sprain; however, the senior keeper displayed no signs of nagging symptoms during the contest.
Following last season’s 1-0 loss to Nixa in the district championship, Acuff and the Lady Chiefs are eager for another run in 2017.
“I was really hyped-up for this game,” Acuff said. “I’ve been waiting to get a little bit of redemption all year after last year’s finish. I think we came out and played well, and you can’t really complain about an 8-1 win.”
Kickapoo outshot Harrison 32-8 on the afternoon.
For Harrison and head coach Chris Pratt, the early season has been a reminder that past results don’t guarantee future success. The Lady Goblins are off to a 2-4-2 start and still working out the kinks.
Pratt was quick to challenge his team’s focus after a week away from school and inability to capitalize on early opportunities in the game.
“We didn’t start off real strong putting pressure on the ball,” Pratt said. “You’ve got the wind, you’ve got to take that half, do all the right things to build a lead and make them claw their way back in the second half. Mentally, we weren’t here … we were on spring break, and you could tell.”
Like Kickapoo, Pratt doesn’t shy away from difficult scheduling arrangements. While last season’s 20-6-1 squad went 0-3 in Missouri against Kickapoo, Ozark and Rolla, the Lady Goblins ended the year hoisting a state championship.
Despite graduating a pair of Arkansas all-staters in Katie Jones and player of the year Carlee Spears, Harrison won’t shy away from tough scheduling. Pratt is a firm believer in the theory that only iron can sharpen iron.
“I lost 70-plus goals from three seniors last year,” Pratt said. “We’ve got to find our way, get our experience and see if we can make a run here at the end of the year. That’s why we play these teams. We’re a small, rural community, but we come up here to play, get better and learn.”
Kickapoo (1-0) travels north to Columbia on Friday, March 24, for a match with Rock Bridge, while Harrison (2-4-2) hosts Siloam Springs on Tuesday, March 28.
Kickapoo – 8, Harrison – 1
First-half scoring
Kickapoo 11:54 Jalyn McClean goal (unassisted) 1-0
Harrison 13:01 Liz Shirley goal (Brylie Parker assist) 1-1
Kickapoo 36:37 Jalyn McClean goal (Alyson Reinold assist) 2-1
Kickapoo 38:20 Kori Cowger goal (Edyn King assist) 3-1
Second-half scoring
Kickapoo 48:07 Alyson Reinold goal (Serena Boyce assist) 4-1
Kickapoo 58:14 Skylr Houzenga goal (unassisted) 5-1
Kickapoo 71:00 Kori Cowger goal (unassisted) 6-1
Kickapoo 72:28 Skylr Houzenga goal (Alyson Reinold assist) 7-1
Kickapoo 78:31 Serena Boyce goal (unassisted) 8-1
