Much of the Hillsboro Hawks Varsity Soccer team’s hard work in their past few games finally came together, and paid off with a big 5-0 win in the matchup for the Highway 21 Cup against the De Soto Dragons. Strong teamwork resulted in some well deserved goals for the team and the Hawks’ eighth straight win of the Highway 21 Cup.
From the start, the Hawks were off to the races. Carolyn Leonard was the first to strike, scoring in the 14th minute and was assisted by Mikaela “MJ” Smith. The Hawks didn’t stop there. Bella Stephens was the next to earn a goal in the 22nd minute, assisted by Leonard. Zoe Wood added one more goal to the Hawks’ first half tally, scoring in the 30th minute and was assisted by Smith. With a crosstown rivalry on the line, the Hawks’ first half edge was a good indicator of the team’s drive to win.
“We wanted to keep the trophy and definitely didn’t want to lose to De Soto,” Smith said. “That made us all work together and play hard.”
The second half saw the Hawks slam the door shut on the Dragons. Smith earned herself a goal in the 60th minute, assisted by Ashlynn Dean. Wood would find the back of the net one last time in the 63rd minute, with assistance from Miranda Gallaway, to drive home the final nail in the coffin.
Head Coach Sam Nansel shared in the team’s enthusiasm at the win, saying, “We played really well and worked as a team to get this win. It was nice seeing the girls have fun and get a win and keep the Highway 21 Cup trophy.”
Baylei Clubb played in goal all 80 minutes and had one save. The Hawks took ten shots on goal over the Dragons’ one.
The Hawks now hope to channel that same energy into their next matchup against the Perryville Pirates on May 6th. The game starts at 6:45 p.m.
