Saxony Lutheran spoils senior night for Lady Mules

It was an emotional night for the seniors of the Poplar Bluff Lady Mules soccer team.

The Lady Mules hosted Saxony Lutheran on Wednesday at Poplar Bluff High School for senior night. Despite their best efforts to make up the ground in the first half, the Lady Mules fell short in the final minutes to the Saxony Lutheran Lady Crusaders 3-2.

Though the Lady Mules didn’t secure the victory, they still had a reason to smile as they honored their seniors Savannah Hanner, Cori Duncan and Sophronia Starnes. Moments before the game, neither player could keep their emotions in, and it showed that their love for this team ran deep.

Hanner said it was a bittersweet moment knowing this year would be her last season with the Lady Mules.

“I'm a little bit sad, but I'm so excited,” Hanner said. “It's been kind of a rough season, but it's been great having these girls by my side. This is a great group of girls, and I love playing with them. Being around them every day is one of the things I will miss the most about being on this team.”

Starnes agreed that this game would be emotional because of its meaning. She said the last four years have been filled with great memories, and she’s enjoyed every moment with every girl on the team.

With emotions pouring, the Lady Mules had to regroup to take on a tough Saxony Lutheran squad. Though the Lady Mules have won the last six matchups against the Lady Crusaders, their recent struggles on the field would be challenging as Saxony Lutheran has gone 5-1 in their last few matchups.

The game kicked off with a lot of intensity as each team pushed the ball up and down the field, looking to gain the upper hand with good field position to score a goal. Most of the first half went scoreless until the Lady Crusaders saw an opening to take a 1-0 lead in the first half.

Luckily for the Lady Mules, there wasn’t much ground to cover, and they began to battle back. The Lady Mules managed to bring the score even at 2-2, but with a last-minute hand-in-the-box violation, Saxony Lutheran received a penalty kick to take a 3-2 lead with (1:38) remaining on the clock. With little time, the Lady Mules wouldn’t have enough to score.

Next up for the Lady Mules is a matchup against Oakville at home.