The Bolivar Liberators are one game away from the final four.
Brionna Halverson scored three goals and keeper Reaghan Lesh pitched a shutout as Bolivar blanked Rogersville 3-0 in a Class 2 sectional match at Rogersville High School on Saturday afternoon.
"I've never imagined this," said junior midfielder Grace vanHoornbeek, who had two assists in the win. "(Making it to quarterfinals) is like a dream come true, honestly. We just keep working hard every single day, and I'm so proud of our girls for it."
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Bolivar dominated possession all game, leaving Rogersville very few goal-scoring opportunities. Eight minutes in, Bolivar's Allyson Hargis took the ball from the corner and sent it into the box for Halverson, who placed it in the net. The early goal helped set the tone for the rest of the game.
"We knew we had to play our game today," vanHoornbeek said.
The Liberators continued to pepper Rogersville keeper Hannah Hendrickson with shots the rest of the half, but Hendrickson and her defense held tough, keeping the game 1-0 at halftime.
"Give credit to Rogersville," Bolivar coach Steve Fast said. "In the first half, they came out with a ton of pressure. They were playing solid defense down the middle. They were man marking Brionna, and as soon as she would get it, they would double or triple team her. At halftime, we talked about spreading the ball our more, losing their defenders and finding space. We did a much better job of that in the second half."
In the second half, Bolivar began to take advantage of its opportunities. In the 52nd minute, vanHoornbeek blasted the ball into the box for Halverson, who had a one-on-one chance against Hendrickson. With both players going for the loose ball, Hendrickson inadvertently tripped Halverson. The official let play continue, and Halverson regained her footing and blasted the ball into the net. Halverson and vanHoornbeek connected again in the 67th, giving Halverson the hat-trick.
The shutout, Lesh's 16th of the year, brings the keeper within one of the state record for most shutouts in a single-season (Monique Willcut, Camdenton, 2002).
Bolivar now advances to the Class 2 quarterfinals, where they'll meet the winner of Pembroke Hill and Pleasant Hill on Wednesday, May 24th. Pembroke Hill and Pleasant Hill are scheduled to play their sectional match on Saturday night.
"They're both very solid teams," Fast said. "We're going to have to play really well to get by them."
Bolivar 3, Rogersville 0
Bolivar 1 2 3
Rogersville 0 0 0
GOALS
7:07 Halverson (Hargis assist)
51:53 Halverson (vanHoornbeek assist)
66:51 Halverston (vanHoornbeek assist)
