Wildcats roll Ottawa on Senior Night to stop losing streak

Louisburg seniors (from left) manager Weston Frank, Madi Quinn, Olivia Barber, Emma Christy, Kennady Wilkerson, Liz Guzman, Missy Meigs and manager Reece Jones were honored on Senior Night prior to their 6-0 win over Ottawa on Tuesday.

The Louisburg girls soccer team was in the midst of its first losing streak of the season and the Wildcats needed it to end before it got any further.

As it turned out, Senior Night was the perfect remedy.

Louisburg honored its six senior players and two managers prior to Tuesday’s home contest against Ottawa, and what was an already a special night, turned out even better when the game was over.

The Wildcats (7-3) scored six goals, four in the second half, as they rolled to a 6-0 shutout of the Cyclones and ended its two game skid.

“It is good to get back to the things that we like to do and get back to the way we like to play,” Louisburg coach Kyle Conley said. “The kids played hard and they are playing the right way. They are still young and they are learning. 

“Our seniors are trying to lead, and they are doing a good job, but there are so many kids in different spots or new spots. We are piecing it together, but it was good to get everyone back on the same page. It is crazy how a win seems to fix everything. It is good to see the girls giggling and laughing again. That stuff just helps us confidence wise.”

Prior to the match, seniors Madi Quinn, Olivia Barber, Emma Christy, Kennady Wilkerson, Liz Guzman and Missy Meigs were honored with their parents, as were managers Weston Frank and Reece Jones.

It is a group of kids that Conley has enjoyed and was glad they were able to end their Senior Night with a victory.

“It is a great group of girls,” Conley said. “All six of them play their butts off every night and they all do anything that we ask. They never complain. They all pack their lunch, work their tails off and play so hard. They are everything that this program stands for and are always there for each other. That is the best part and you can’t ask for any more from a kid. 

“Individual achievements are great, but them being there for each other is the best part. Watching them be leaders and always encouraging their teammates, is so much fun to watch. That is the best you can ask for a senior class to be.”

It was a pair of freshman that led the Wildcat attack and got the team started offensively. 

Freshmen Lexi Hampton finished the day with a team-high two goals, while freshman Lola Edwards had a a goal, including four shots on goal.

Senior Olivia Barber converted a penalty kick to help put Louisburg up 2-0 at halftime and she also had a team-high two assists.

Hampton and Edwards opened the scoring for Louisburg in the second half. Then junior Reese Johnson had a sliding shot that rolled past the Ottawa keeper for a 5-0 lead.

Sophomore Bree Gassman had a shot that ricocheted off an Ottawa player late in the match for an own goal to compete the scoring. Gassman and Edwards also had assists on the day.

Johnson and Hampton each had five shots on goal to lead the Wildcats and Barber had two. Adyson Ross and Hailey Sword also had shots on target.

“Ottawa played a flat back and we tried to do some give and go’s and break it down a little bit,” Conley said. “It would open a huge gap when they stepped so we tried to exploit that and Reese did a really good job of that. Lex and Lola and just killed them up top. We just wanted to keep attacking and it worked out.”

The Louisburg defense also played strong as it posted its seventh shutout of the season and junior goalie Sierra Hahn recorded the clean sheet. Hahn also had five saves on the night.

“We let them have some looks early on, but the girls were able to clean it up a little bit,” Conley said. “After that I thought the girls played pretty well. We were a lot more aggressive moving forward and it didn’t seem like they were as nervous back there.”

Louisburg will try and make it two wins in a row tonight when it travels to Eudora. The Wildcats will also travel to Lansing on Friday to finish out the week.