Lady Mules rely on defense for postseason

The regular season has been an uphill climb for the Lady Mules, but after a few returns and adjustments to their game plan, they’re heading into the district tournament with a head of steam.

The Lady Mules proved how great they could be with a full and healthy roster, but what held them together was their intensity on the defense.

“I think our defense has got a lot better throughout the year,” Poplar Bluff coach Rusty Crafton said. “The team's core has played together for a while, and having the seniors in the backfield for leadership is a plus.

"Our defense is probably one of our strong suits and helps us stay into games, and having our top seniors, Nevaeh Larkins and Sydney Kramer, in the back has definitely pushed up through this tough season. It’s going to be hard to replace them next year.”

The Lady Mules finished the regular season 12-7 — and 11 of those wins resulted in a shutout. This season ranks the third-highest winning percentage since 2010, when the new program finished 16-5.

Larkins, a senior and the captain of the Lady Mules, said getting the team to play as a unit was one goal she wanted to see fulfilled before the postseason. As the goalkeeper, Larkins held most of the responsibility for maintaining those shutouts, but she believes it starts with the team's effort in the front line.

Despite having a decent record during the middle of the season, Larkins was happy to have players back from injury.

The Poplar Bluff Lady Mules soccer team says a prayer before each game. The Lady Mules finished the regular season 12-7, and 11 of those wins resulted in a shutout. This season ranks the third-highest winning percentage since 2010, when the new program finished 16-5. DAR/D�Courtland Christian

“Of my four years here, I think this is the best team I've ever played with,” Larkins said. “Getting our team back to full health was great, and I believe if we had our full squad from the beginning, we would've been a force the entire season. Everyone has a certain job and most of us have done those jobs for years now — so we rely on them, and it just makes the game so much easier.”

Larkins said the Lady Mules has improved as a team and achieved pretty much what she wanted from the beginning of the season. As for defense, she said it’s been a struggle trying to find the right balance as their offense was strong, but they always fell short on defense.

“I think that our defense has been probably one of my favorite parts — and not just with me because we have a really good backline that works really hard and works really well together,” she said. “If someone makes a mistake, there's always someone there to make up for it. We all are able to communicate really well, which helps us with having a strong defense.”

After getting the team back at full strength, the Lady Mules went on a six-game winning streak. Kramer, a senior and another captain of the Lady Mules made a huge impact on the defensive end as the leading player on the backline.

“I feel like we've done pretty well getting into a groove before the district tournament,” Kramer said. “We've all pushed ourselves, and our winning streak boosted our confidence and made us come together as a team and play better.

The defense has just worked really hard while some of our players were sidelined. I think putting more effort into defense opens up more opportunities for us to score.”

Senior and captain of the Lady Mules, Sydney Kramer, makes a defensive play at the backline in her final regular season game of the season against Fredericktown Thursday, which they won 4-0.DAR/D�Courtland Christian

The Lady Mules will hit the road Saturday to face off against No. 1-seeded Jackson in the first round of the Class 6 District 1 Tournament. Earlier this year, the Lady Mules lost to the Lady Indians in a 6-0 shutout, but Crafton is expecting a different outcome as the team has learned from their past mistakes.

“We're going to come in with some momentum, and I think we figured out some things that we needed to do against them,” he said. “This time around, we’re going to put more effort into challenging them. They're definitely a tough competition, but I think the girls are ready for the challenge the second time around.”

For Larkins, the plan is to have a positive mindset. During their last matchup against Jackson, she noticed the team wasn’t mentally prepared to face a team such as the Lady Indians. After capturing a series of wins, Larkins believes the Lady Mules' confidence has risen and will be better prepared.