Wildcats score five first half goals en route to shutout of Lansing

Louisburg junior Lola Edwards celebrates her first goal with teammates Rowan Yows (left) and Bree Gassman on Tuesday during the team’s season opener. Edwards found the back of the net twice in the Wildcats’ 6-0 win over Lansing.

Louisburg has practiced as a full team less than a handful of times, but there it was Tuesday, on the pitch for its season opener.

It wasn’t ideal circumstances, but it didn’t seem to bother the Wildcats much — if at all.

The Wildcats scored five first half goals en route to a 6-0 shutout of Lansing at Wildcat Stadium. Five different players scored for Louisburg as it won its home opener.

“I told them at the onset that we didn’t need to focus on tactics,” Louisburg coach Ben York said. “I just wanted them to pressure and connect passes and see what happens. Fitness will only improve. We had a good first half, and good part of the second half, before we started to fade a little.”

“In the grand scheme of things, we are heading in right direction and I think theses games at beginning of season will help us. We were able to work on some stuff during the game and got settled in.”

Louisburg didn’t waste much time getting on the scoreboard as junior midfielder Lola Edwards found the back of the net to put the Wildcats up 1-0 just three minutes into the match. Sophomore Rowan Yows followed suit just a couple minutes later with a goal of her own to give the Wildcats a two-goal advantage.

Freshman Mena Fercho got into the scoring as she scored her first varsity goal to put the Wildcats put 3-0. Edwards then followed with her second goal of the game on a shot from more than 20 yards out.

Sophomore Jaden Bentz put the Wildcats up 5-0 late in the first half to help give them a large halftime lead.

In the second half, goals were a little harder to come by, but senior Adyson Ross sealed the win with a goal late in the contest.

York liked what he saw out of his team and the fact several different players got opportunities for shots on goal.

“I was able to move kids around and look at them at different positions and some swing players got playing time as well,” York said. “It was good to see them come out with energy and ready to go. 

“We also attacked differently than we did last year, and we changed the way we play. In year’s past, this was a fairly direct team. That just isn’t the way we are going to play. The result is many different people will have opportunities to score. The forwards are still going to have their chances, but it will be little different. Connecting and working the ball up the field, and scoring more off crossing opportunities, is something we hope to do more of.”

Junior goalie Macy Lemke also recorded her first clean sheet of the season as she tallied four saves, including a pair of diving stops in the first half to help preserve the team’s lead.

“Macy is a good goalie,” York said. “She is fearless and very confident and has a good presence on the field. When it comes to that, she made some really good saves off the bat and it gives her and the girls some confidence. She is going to be tested a lot this year, so it was nice to see her do good things and she knows her role.”

Louisburg will try for back-to-back wins tonight as the Wildcats travel to Leavenworth. The match is set to begin at 6:15 p.m.