Jackson girls soccer team's season ends in sectional loss to Cor Jesu

When the final horn sounded, members of the Jackson girls soccer team trudged off the Houck Stadium field with eyes glazed. Some remained on the field, sitting with their heads in their hands, or lying flat on their stomachs, unwilling to face what had happened over the previous 80 minutes.

The Indians played toe-to-toe with Cor Jesu Academy out of St. Louis in Tuesday's Class 4 sectional on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University. But despite matching the Chargers shot for shot, the Indians found themselves on the losing end of a 3-0 score, ending their season with a record of 20-3-1.

Cor Jesu (14-8) advances to a Class 4 quarterfinal contest against St. Joseph's Academy. Jackson again finishes painfully short of its goal.

"Sometimes it just doesn't fall your way," Jackson coach Justin McMullen said. "We definitely had plenty of chances to score, and nothing was going in for us tonight."

Jackson's Cassidi Tomsu lines up a shot against Cor Jesu goalie Sarah Robinson as Emily Erbs looks on during the second half of a Class 4 sectional Tuesday, May 26, 2015 at Houck Stadium. (Fred Lynch)

Last year it was a loss on penalty kicks in the district final against Seckman. On Tuesday, the Indians failed to capitalize on early opportunities against another quality opponent. Instead, it was the Chargers who were opportunistic, getting a first-half goal from junior Mikayla Harvey that swung momentum in Cor Jesu's favor.

Harvey worked her way up the middle of the field and took a pass from teammate Elly Krobath. She worked her way just inside the penalty box before unleashing a low bullet that beat Jackson goalkeeper Sarah Blanton to the corner of the net.

"I looked around to my right and left and I didn't have anyone around me [to pass to]," Harvey said. "So then I went for a low shot to the corner, and it slipped by her. It was a good shot."

That goal seemed to settle down the Chargers, who began to assert themselves on both ends of the field. Early in the second half, Krobath ran onto a rebound and was able to slip it past Blanton for the Chargers' second goal.

"I was a little concerned early on because I felt that the travel [from St. Louis], we maybe didn't have our legs right away," Cor Jesu head coach Dave Gauvain said. "I thought Jackson did a really nice job coming out strong and throwing some things at us. We kind of weathered that storm and turned things on."

Jackson's Jordan Nelson takes an inbounded ball against Cor Jesu's Emily Erbs during the first half of a Class 4 sectional Tuesday, May 26, 2015 at Houck Stadium. (Fred Lynch)

Chargers netminder Sarah Robinson kept her squad in front with some key saves, none more important that a leaping effort on a rocket by Jackson freshman Graycen Pehle midway through the second half. Pehle's shot was headed toward the upper corner before Robinson was able to leap and deftly knock the ball toward the corner of the field.

"That was definitely a big momentum builder, just to get that one out of the way," Robinson said. "They had been putting a lot of pressure on there, and that definitely changed the momentum for us."

Jennifer Seithel provided the final margin, scoring on a penalty kick with five seconds remaining.

"They pass together really well," Jackson junior forward Cassidi Tomsu said. "They connected their passes. They were always finding an open person. We just couldn't get there fast enough."

Both teams managed seven shots on goal, but it was Cor Jesu that made the most of its opportunities.

"I think it was just one of those nights," Jackson senior Jordan Nelson said through tears. "My team, they're great. They can be great, and we were tonight, but soccer's a tough game. You have your good days and you have your bad days. We gave everything we had, and that's all I can ask for."

Jackson coach Justin McMullen talks to his team after their 3-0 loss to Cor Jesu in a Class 4 sectional Tuesday, May 26, 2015 at Houck Stadium. (Fred Lynch)

McMullen noted how Cor Jesu's record belies its strength. The Chargers play a regular-season schedule peppered with strong soccer programs throughout the St. Louis area, and that experience tends to come through during the postseason.

"They're well-coached, and they play a very strong schedule," McMullen said. "They're used to being in tight games like that. And they capitalized on their opportunities. You can't take anything away from that."

McMullen was hoping an early goal would give Jackson enough momentum to eke out a win.

"We talked that at the beginning of the game, about trying to get up early on them," he said. "That would kind of change the complexion of the game. But it's just unfortunate we weren't able to do that."