Experienced Mueller sends Saxony Lutheran girls soccer past Perryville 2-1

Saxony Lutheran's Masyn McWilliams, right, defends Perryville's Jill Morris during the first half Tuesday at Saxony Lutheran High School. The Crusaders won 2-1.

Fred Lynch

If there are two girls soccer teams that know what it's like to be young and inexperienced this season, it's Perryville and Saxony Lutheran.

Both sides have faced challenges associated with new faces and a steady learning curve, but on Tuesday it was the Crusaders who prevailed in a head-to-head matchup, getting an early second-half goal from Laurel Mueller -- one of the few veterans on the field -- to slip by the Pirates 2-1 at Saxony Lutheran High School.

Mueller's goal came after her side conceded in the late moments of the first half, giving Perryville momentum going into halftime. But in the 45th minute the junior striker turned off a defender's shoulder on the left wing, ran onto the ball and cut to her right before knocking a shot around a center back and into the net for a lead that held up the rest of the way.

"It was really important," Saxony Lutheran coach Chris Crawford said. "[Perryville's] goal came as we were shifting people around and getting everyone some minutes so everyone has some experience. Those are people that might not usually be in those positions, but they did what they could and the girl made a nice shot.

"Laurel picked us up. She's the captain and a leader on the team and she did what she had to do to give us that lift."

Saxony Lutheran's Zoie Roth looks to control the ball in front of Perryville's Kirstin Jannin during the first half Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at Saxony Lutheran High School.

Fred Lynch

It was Kirstin Jannin who notched the goal for the Pirates (4-14) in the 39th minute, tying the game at 1-all just before the final first-half whistle.

Jannin provided Perryville with some of its only experience, but has only been on the field for a few games since returning from a broken foot suffered during basketball season. Her minutes are still limited, but her presence was felt when she was on the field.

For the Pirates, it was a welcome boost, because other veterans from a year ago, such as Sydney Spears and Cora Moll, were unavailable. That's how things have gone all year for Perryville.

"I don't think we've played the same lineup two games in a row," Perryville coach Jerry Fulton said. "I lost another [girl] yesterday. So it is what it is. We've struggled all year with that. If we could have kept our starting lineup together and stayed healthy, I think we'd be a totally different team. But you play the cards you're dealt. That's what we've got and we're dealing with it. We only lose two seniors, so hopefully this is good, valuable experience for next year."

On Tuesday, Saxony Lutheran (8-11) was able to pick up balls in the midfield and get them to Mueller and fellow forward Emma Brune and let them create chances by running at Perryville's defense.

"We're very inexperienced on the back line -- in fact, I don't think any girls back there played last year to be honest," Fulton said. "It's just a learning thing.

"[Saxony Lutheran] played very well. They're very athletic through the back line, and [Mueller], she's got a lot of good skills. They deserved to win. They played well."

The home side initially took a 1-0 lead on a sixth-minute Brune goal, as the freshman was a threat in the attacking third for 80 minutes.

Etty Soto had an assist on the day.

"We won the 50/50 balls and we won the middle of the field in general, and when you win the middle of the field it makes it much easier on the forwards," Crawford said. "The forwards are hardwired [to] want the ball on their foot, and when they don't get it sometimes they fall asleep or are just unhappy and aren't playing as well. So just getting them balls to their feet, it felt like they were involved in the game and that made them both more active."

The Crusaders out-shot Perryville 19-6, forcing Pirates goalkeeper Camryn Baer into making 12 saves.

Saxony Lutheran controlled the first 20 minutes of the game, but Perryville offered some pushback. That paid off with Jannin's goal with just over a minute left in the half.

The Pirates opened the second half with a little pressure, with Chloe Bergman sending a shot on goal from 25 yards out that was stopped by Saxony keeper Sam Schnabel.

But the momentum shifted moments later when Mueller put her team on top.

Saxony Lutheran's Audra Steffens controls the ball against Perryville's Hanna Kakouris during the first half Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at Saxony Lutheran High School.

Fred Lynch

The Crusaders again created danger in the 48th minute, when a rising shot from Brune was tipped over the crossbar by Baer.

Perryville's last decent chance came in the 60th minute, when Jannin sailed a loping strike just over the crossbar.

From there on out it was all Saxony, including an opportunity to make it a two-goal game when Mueller pushed the ball to Meredith Scheper, who found Brune in the 6-yard box, but the freshman's shot was smothered by Baer.

The Pirates are back on the field today at Poplar Bluff as they wind down the regular season. Perryville will face top seed Notre Dame in a Class 2 District semifinal on Saturday.

The Crusaders play their regular-season finale on Thursday hosting Kelly in a preview of a Class 1 District 1 semifinal that will be played just six days later.

"We've had 19 games and played 19 different lineups. It's never easy," Crawford said. "You have people coming in and out of the lineup based on injury, based on their form, based on a lot of different things. Finally, hopefully, Thursday we'll have everyone available to us and that's a big thing going into next week.

"It's the first time since the first game that we've had everyone available to us. We want to build chemistry between everybody. It's late in the season to be doing that but we're just trying to get everyone on the same page so when we move into next week we give ourselves the best chance we can have."