A second-half spark lifted the No. 14 Pearl River women's soccer team past Meridian on Friday night, as the Wildcats broke through after halftime for a 2-1 victory.
"It was just a matter of who wants to score. As much as we had the ball in the box in the first half, we really didn't have anyone who wanted to go after it," head coach Henrik Madsen said. "That's what we talked about at the break. We get good services in the box; we've just got to get a little more efficient and finish off the chances."
Although Pearl River (10-3-1 overall; 6-3-1 MACCC) managed shots on goal in the 7th, 9th and 40th minutes, the Wildcats couldn't seem to break down a stout Meridian (6-7-2; 4-5) defense through the first half, sending the teams into the break scoreless.
A penalty kick helped the Wildcats settle in immediately after halftime. A shot toward goal deflected off the hand of a Meridian center back, sending Alesha Gale (Rotherham, England) to the spot. The freshman calmly stepped up and buried the kick into the upper left corner, giving Pearl River a 1-0 lead.
The Eagles nearly equalized in the 60th minute if not for an incredible defensive effort from Cali Kirkbride (St. Martin). With the net seemingly open, Kirkbride slid in at the last moment for a goal-saving tackle to preserve the lead.
That defensive stand seemed to ignite the offense. Just a minute later, the Wildcats doubled their advantage. Holly Jones (Liverpool, England) floated a ball into the box that Emily Boles (Gulfport) chested down for Addy Grace Alexander (Poplarville), who quickly slipped it past the goalkeeper for a 2-0 lead.
Meridian broke the shutout late with a rocket free kick, but it wasn't enough to climb back into the match as Pearl River held on for a 2-1 victory.
UP NEXT
Pearl River wraps up the regular season Tuesday, traveling to Southwest for a 5 p.m. match. It will be livestreamed at Go.SMCCBears.TV.
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