St. Vincent rolls by Cape Central to open season

PERRYVILLE - The St. Vincent Indians started the 2023 season on the right foot as they cruised to a 5-1 win over the Cape Central Tigers on Monday in Perryville.

The weather was cold but it didn’t stop the Indians’ offense from getting off to a quick start in the first half as they scored a pair of goals from Cailyn Prost and Lana Adams to lead 2-0 at the break.

Indians coach Todd Strattman said the team communicated well which he credited to the win.

“We talked a lot,” Strattman said. “It was good stuff.”

While the Indians led 2-0 at halftime, they felt they could have been up more.

“We missed a lot of shots,” Strattman said.

The second half began and Cape Central cut the lead to 2-1 thanks to a goal off a corner kick by Lacie Helm.

It didn’t take the Indians long to respond as Haley Emendorfer scored to make it 3-1.

Lana Adams and Cailyn Prost would each score again to push the lead to 5-1 and finish with two goals a piece.

“They did a good job of talking to one another,” Strattman said. “They were using each other’s speed and playing with each other’s abilities.”

Strattman was also happy with how sharp his team looked despite it being the season's first game.

“We’ve been working on touches and passes,” Strattman said. “We’ve been doing it a lot and they’re responding well. It’s going to be a good season.”

Cape Central (0-1) will be back in action at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 23 when the Tigers host Saxony Lutheran in the SEMO Soccer Classic at Cape Central High School.

St. Vincent (1-0) will also participate in the SEMO Soccer Classic on Thursday, March 23 and Friday, March 24.