Despite losing 7-1 against a talented Joplin soccer squad, Coach Chris Rogers had nothing but praise for his first year Lady Tigers.
“We are getting better every game,” said Rogers. “The girls are working very hard and we are beginning to do the little things right. We just have to start playing a full 80 minutes of soccer.”
It was almost a one-woman show against Carthage as Joplin’s Kelsey Sanders scored the first three goals of the game and ended with four. In the second half, when Joplin’s Yasmin Ulloa scored, Rogers said, “well, at least No. 13 (Sanders) didn’t score.”
The Tigers played on defense almost the entire game as the Joplin defense kept Carthage at bay.
Carthage kept Joplin scoreless for the first 17 minutes of the game, before Sanders scored at the 23-minute mark from the right side. Four minutes later she scored and three minutes later, she scored again. At the 14-minute mark Meghan Matheson scored to put Carthage in a 4-0 hole.
Carthage’s Jessica Diaz kept it from being a shutout as she scored from the right side at the 13- minute mark making the score 4-1.
That would be all that the Lady Tigers would score the rest of the game. Joplin scored three more times in the second half making the final score 7-1.
“Little by little, we will get there,” said Rogers.
The Lady Tigers are 1-3 overall and will play Saturday at the Greenwood Tournament.
