Jackson soccer team rides goal spree into district final

~ Jackson scores five goals in six minutes on its way to a 6-0 win over Bluff and a spot in the Class 3 District 1 final

For the first 60 minutes of Monday's Class 3 District 1 tournament semifinal against Poplar Bluff, all the Jackson girls soccer team had to show for its relentless offensive pressure was a slim 1-0 lead.

Less than six minutes later, it was 6-0, and the Indians were on their way to their second straight district final.

Rachel Crites had three goals and Hailey Mouser added one goal and assisted on three others as the Indians improved to 20-2-1 on the season.

"We just try to be patient," Jackson coach Justin McMullen said. "I felt eventually we'd be able to break through. ... We made some adjustments at halftime, and that paid off in the second half."

Jackson’s Jordan Myer scores a second-half goal past Poplar Bluff goalkeeper Courtney Raulston. (Laura Simon)

Jackson dominated play in the first half, maintaining possession in their offensive zone and putting a number of shots on Poplar Bluff goaltender Courtney Raulston who, for the most part, was up to the task. The Indians' lone goal came when Mouser, a junior midfielder, outmaneuvered a pair of Mules defenders down the right side, then crossed a pass to Crites at the far post. The sophomore nudged the ball past a lunging Raulston for a 1-0 lead.

"We've been working on those things the last week or so," McMullen said, noting Mouser's dogged determination to work through the Mules defense and get into a scoring position. "It really paid off on that goal."

It stayed that way until midway through the second half, and again it was Mouser setting up the score. This time she found senior Jordan Myer in front of the goal, Myer taking the pass and shooting into the far corner for a 2-0 lead.

Two minutes later, freshman Cassidi Tomsu worked free on the left side, then lifted a high cross to the far post, where the 5-foot-9 Mouser leaped high above the Poplar Bluff defenders and deftly deflected the ball with her head into the corner of the net to make it 3-0.

"It was a perfect cross from Cassidi," Mouser said. "We've had a good connection all year. I just saw the opportunity and took advantage of it. That's been on my soccer 'bucket list,' to get a good header."

Jackson’s Hailey Callis, left, and Hailey Mouser celebrate Mouser’s goal during the second half.

The Indians weren't done. A minute later, Jackson senior Sara Thompson beat Raulston to a wide shot along the goal line and, with the Mules goalkeeper out of position, passed the ball in front where Tomsu blasted a shot off a Poplar Bluff defender and into the goal for a 4-0 lead. The next time down, Jackson drew a free kick from about 30 yards out. Senior Hailey Callis lifted a high kick to the front of the goal, where Crites got a piece of it and deflected it past Raulston to make it 5-0.

Crites closed out the scoring with just over 12 minutes remaining in the game, taking a pass from Mouser, curling and firing a shot into the far corner.

Six minutes, five goals. To hear the Jackson players talk, it was just a matter of time.

"I just feel like, in the first half, we weren't connecting at times," Crites said. "We couldn't seem to get our passes through. We made some adjustments, and after halftime, we were able to build up our offense. Once we built up to it, we started scoring."

Tomsu, stifled for much of the first half by a defense determined to keep the speedy forward from working free, agreed.

Jackson’s Hailey Mouser heads the ball above Poplar Bluff’s Ashley Stonecipher for a goal during the second half of their Class 3 District 1 semifinal game.

"It was a matter of time," she said. "I wasn't worried because we're good at finishing. We turned it on in the second half."

The win put the Indians in a familiar position: playing for a district title. Last year, those title hopes were derailed by a spunky Northwest team which claimed a 1-0 triumph, denying the Indians a sectional berth. The Indians will face Seckman (13-7), which defeated Northwest 3-1 in Monday's other semifinal, at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Jackson's been pointing to that game for more than a year.

"We've been waiting for this game for quite a while," Crites said.

"Oh my gosh, yes," gushed Mouser. "We've been working hard all season, and this is what it comes down to."

McMullen admitted it hasn't been easy keeping his squad focused on the task at hand leading up to Monday's win.

"It's been very difficult to keep them focused on one game at a time," he said. "They've been waiting for this game for a long time. They're up for that challenge, they're waiting for it.

"We'll be ready."