Jackson's season ends with 2-0 sectional loss

FENTON, Mo. -- The Jackson girls soccer team received a little of its own medicine Tuesday night in the Class 2 sectional game.

After posting 17 shutouts during the 2004 season, the Indians (22-4-1) were blanked 2-0 by Nerinx Hall on a rain-drenched field at the Anheuser-Busch Center.

"Their defense played well," Jackson coach Zack Walton said. "They shut us down up top. We had some opportunities and we needed the ball to go our way a time or two, and it just didn't."

The game started about 15 minutes late and was halted again about 10 minutes in as heavy rain and lightning passed over the field.

Nerinx Hall (25-3-1) applied early pressure and finally put a shot past sophomore keeper Kylie Werner in the 26th minute. Blair Schuppan's crossing pass was converted by Mary Green.

"We had a goal of getting on top early," Nerinx coach Vince Becker said. "We try to emphasize scoring first, playing good defense and staying with game plan rather than going into a shell."

The Markers' game plan was possession, and despite a wet field and some sloppy play, Becker liked some of what he saw.

"We like to play the ball out wide and play keep-away," he said. "I thought we forced a lot of passes tonight.

We tried to kick it long and track it down.

"Defensively, I think we played well. I don't think they had a corner kick or a shot. We shut them down a little bit, and I think we played strong defense as a unit. I think the conditions had something to do with it. On a field like this, it's better for the defense than the offense."

Nerinx, 17-0-1 in its last 18 games, added a goal with a little more than 26 minutes remaining when Caitlin King converted a breakaway down the right side.

"That was the only goal they earned," Walton said.

"The first goal we should not have allowed. The ball just kind of dribbled through some people."

Still, Walton was impressed by the Markers, and he thought his players also may have been impressed before the game began.

"We don't play up here normally," he said. "It's a big deal for us, and I think we had some jitters about that and who we were playing.

"They've got a real good team. I'm proud of the way the girls held them to two goals. We stayed in there and kept it close."