By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Early April had mid-May intensity in Thursday night’s Kickapoo-Nixa girls’ soccer showdown.
In what could be another district title preview, Nixa edged Kickapoo 2-1 after a thrilling, back-and-forth second half.
Amid recent struggles against Kickapoo, Nixa coach Evan Palmer said the Lady Eagles played tight in the opening 40 minutes.
“Before the game, (our players) weren’t talking,” he said. “We just had to get them to calm down and play their game. We did a much better job of that in the second half.
“First half, we were tentative. When you play not to screw up, you don’t play well.”
Nixa quickly came to life after halftime with a pair of early goals.
Sophomore star Shae Franck, who had a team-high 21 goals last season, capitalized on a long feed from Brooke Teter and scored despite being covered by two defenders.
“(Shae) can hit the ball with both feet. That’s what makes her so tough to defend,” Palmer said. “She’s having a great year so far.”
Franck drilled her shot around the defender duo, the Kickapoo goalie and inside the far post to put Nixa up 1-0 in the 45th minute.
“Brooke made a great play and found me on the side there. I just felt like I could beat everybody,” Franck said. “I’ve done that (shot) a few times this season, so I’ve been more confident taking it.”
About five minutes later, Franck took a corner kick that went through thanks to a Kickapoo own goal. Sophomore teammate Bria Smith was the closest Lady Eagle to the ball.
Kickapoo answered quickly, scoring in the 55th minute. Faith Joe’s free kick from 40 yards out found freshman Maddie Akers alone on the far side. Akers headed the ball home uncontested.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
“That’s why we work on (set pieces) so much, because in games like these it might be all you can find,” said Kickapoo coach Phil Hodge.
Kickapoo became the aggressor in the final 20 minutes but couldn’t pull level.
“We just held on there,” Palmer said. “At the end, we talked about how we need to finish games a little bit better. Kickapoo’s a great team and they have some girls who can really push forward and score.”
The victory bolsters Nixa’s impressive early season start.
The Lady Eagles (7-1 overall) now have wins over the likes of Kickapoo, Catholic and Glendale. Nixa’s lone loss came against undefeated Park Hill South, 3-2, back on March 29.
But entering Thursday’s match, Nixa had lost four of its last five games against Kickapoo dating back to 2019.
“(This win) means a lot, because we lost both games to them last year including in districts,” Franck said. “This is a really big win for us.”
The win also gives Nixa an inside track to the No. 1 seed in a loaded Class 4 District 5 field, which includes Kickapoo, Ozark, Republic and Glendale.
The Lady Chiefs, who went to the final four last season, are seeking their seventh straight district title this spring.
“Tonight was a district championship feel,” Hodge said. “We got some new kids who haven’t experienced that before. That’s what those matches feel like. By May, it’s going to be even more intense.”
Senior goalkeeper Ellie Shevey had a standout performance for Kickapoo.
She denied a would-be Nixa goal in the 23rd minute by leaping and deflecting the shot off the crossbar.
Later, with Nixa trying to seal the win in the waning minutes, Shevey turned away a Nixa penalty kick.
Kickapoo (8-4 overall) will look to bounce back on Tuesday, April 9 at home versus Central.
“We switched our personnel up a little bit tonight and moved some people around. We’re finally getting healthy, too, so we’re going to have more flexibility in what we can do,” Hodge said.
Nixa continues a grueling stretch when it hosts Ozark on Monday night, April 8. The Lady Eagles will also compete in the Kickapoo Shootout April 11-13.
“We’re going to see what we’re made of after this,” Palmer said. “So far, so good.”
