Notre Dame girls soccer takes down Poplar Bluff

Notre Dame's Zoe Pleimann, left, celebrates after scoring a goal in the second half with teammate Shelby Bauwens (10) on Thursday, April 6, 2017, in Poplar Bluff, Mo.

Brian Rosener ~ Daily American Republic

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — Thirty-three seconds into the second half, Notre Dame’s lead was cut down to a single goal Thursday night.

The Bulldogs responded minutes later with a pair of goals in a 40-second span to beat Poplar Bluff 4-1 in their first trip to Mules Stadium.

“That was huge,” Notre Dame coach Ryan Schweain said.

Poplar Bluff's Neida Grimaldo (10) looks to pass while being defended Blake Sparkman (8) during a match Thursday, April 6, 2017, in Poplar Bluff, Mo.

Brian Rosener ~ Daily American Republic

Megan Heisserer scored twice in the first half and had an assist for Notre Dame (8-0).

Shelby Bauwens slipped a 20-yard free kick inside the upper-right corner of the net in the 53rd minute and Zoe Pleimann scored inside the right post less than a minute later.

Poplar Bluff’s Shelbey Johnson opened the second half with her 13th goal as Sophie Rowland tied the team single-season assist record in the process. Johnson set the record last year as a sophomore with 10 assists.

“I thought we were going to get back in the groove there in the second half,” Mules coach Rusty Crafton said.

The Mules (2-4) didn’t have a chance to pull even with Notre Dame putting pressure on Poplar Bluff’s defense.

“I thought we were moving the ball extremely well, kind of making the ball do the work for us,” Schweain said.

A hand-ball foul in the middle of the field gave the Bulldogs a free kick that Bauwens placed perfectly into the net. Pleimann scored 40 seconds later on a pass from Heisserer in the middle and shot to the right post.

Notre Dame's Megan Heisserer (12) sets up to shoot for a goal in the first half Thursday, April 6, 2017, in Poplar Bluff, Mo.

Brian Rosener ~ Daily American Republic

Heisserer converted a penalty kick just 5:13 into the game and added a goal in the 19th minute, scoring on the run up the middle with a defender on her hip. The sophomore’s penalty kick slipped inside the right post, past a diving keeper who was looking into the setting sun after a foul call near the edge of the penalty box.

“Kind of deflated us when the PK went in and the other goal went in, that was a great shot,” Crafton said.

Poplar Bluff freshman Brylee Misner got a steal at midfield to open the second half and found junior Neida Grimaldo who set up Johnson. A give-and-go with Rowland set Johnson on a run through the middle and the junior was able to get off a shot.

“I knew we were in trouble as soon as she tapped that ball through and she popped out the other side,” Schweain said. “It was a good goal.”

Johnson, who scored 24 goals last year, has 13 in five games while Rowland has assisted on half of Poplar Bluff’s goals this season.

“We talked about that at halftime,” Schweain said. “(Johnson is) a quality player, she’s kind of their go-to player. It seemed like they tried to target her. We talked that if we do a nice job of containing her we have a good chance to win this game.”

The Bulldogs had a free kick and a corner in the minutes after Poplar Bluff got within a goal. Heisserer also had a pair of chances thwarted by keeper Shelby Sievers. In the 50th minute, Heisserer made a long run up the right side and Sievers made a punch-out save diving to her left.

Poplar Bluff defender Jordynn Caldwell cleared a pair of crosses and LeeAnn Coffee turned away another to keep it a one-goal game.

Notre Dame won the previous meeting 2-1 to open the Noon Optimist Club Tournament on March 23. Johnson scored her first of the season on a header and the Mules nearly got the equalizer on another set play.

This time, the Bulldogs were ready, turning aside all four corner chances by Poplar Bluff with keeper Abby Rollett punching out a corner in the 18th minute and sophomore Livia Wunderlich heading out another two minutes later leading to a counter-attack.

The Mules couldn’t connect on a free kick from the right side just before halftime as it sailed wide of the far post.

“We had to make sure we closed down on any of those balls through the air on corners,” Schweain said.

Notre Dame won the junior varsity game, 2-0.