Jackson outlasts surging Saxony defense in premier early-season soccer clash

Anticipated to be one of the top matchups in all of Southeast Missouri this spring, Jackson girls soccer lived up to its high billing in Tuesday’s 3-0 home victory over Saxony Lutheran.

It took a while to find some openings against a tough Crusader defense, but the opportunities began to come in troves and Jackson found its stride in the midgame and pushed that momentum to a huge win.

After the win, however, longtime Jackson coach Justin McMullen took the opportunity to go on record about the strength of his team’s opponent.

“First of all, I think that Saxony team’ll make a deep run in the playoffs in their class,” McMullen said. “They fought really hard, and they’re well-coached.

“The result for us was pretty good. I thought we could do a couple of things better throughout the game, but I was pleased with the result.

“We definitely had a lot of opportunities, and we create a lot of opportunities the way we play.”

Jackson’s feisty defense had the visitors on their heels for most of the night, and you could tell that the Saxony offensive was uncomfortable with the quickness Jackson brought into the match.

That defense turned into offense, keeping the Indians in or near the attacking third for much of the game.

Saxony’s thrived on its stout defense this season, and it was always going to be a focal point if the Crusaders wanted to get past the Indians on Tuesday.

Though that defense played up to standard in most regards, the offensive turnovers right back to Jackson kept the Indians on the attack for most of the night.

That’s not a recipe for success for any contending team, and veteran Crusaders coach Chris Crawford acknowledged those struggles postgame.

“We didn't play up to our potential,” Crawford said. “I didn't think we were super sharp passing. I didn't think we were overly aggressive.

“This is the most physical team we've played so far, and I think we bowed down to that a little bit in the first half.”

The game’s opening tally by Mia Becker in the first half served as the game-winning goal, with freshman Rachel Berger tacking on another two in the second half.

Berger, in early action with the Indians, got some high praise from McMullen following her stoic efforts in the second half, and for great reason.

Going one-on-one with all-state Saxony keeper Grace Ozark, the freshman forward coolly threaded the game’s second goal past as her teammates loudly celebrated her score.

“She was very calm on that finish there,” McMullen said. “You don't see that a lot of times as a freshman; they get a little bit anxious. She showed her poise right there.”

Just a minute later, Berger chipped a dribbling shot in on goal – and it found a way past Ozark once more.

It almost looked like Berger was in shock she’d scored again, but it speaks to her scoring ability and the situational awareness to fire it in on net even without a high-quality look.

“I was really proud of the way she played today,” McMullen said. “You know, she continues to be a player that gets better and better.”

Against one of the top local teams, the Indians looked calm and collected in Tuesday’s victory as they won comfortably even without a dominant offensive night.

Opening up SEMO Conference play with a tremendous victory, Jackson continues to get better as its fusion of young and old talent carries it to heights familiar and unfamiliar.

As McMullen described it, Jackson is a “work in progress” following its shifting of veterans into new roles and new faces into important roles.

So far, it’s coming along nicely.

“I'm really pleased with the way this young team is starting to develop,” McMullen said.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do. Every team does at this point of the season. But we're gonna continue to work.”