The Class 2 Southwest regional soccer coaches poll.
1-Rolla (44) 3-0
2-Waynesville (35) 3-0
3-Lebanon (28) 3-1
4-Kickapoo (13) 1-3
5-Glendale (11) 0-1
others receiving votes- Joplin (4) and Ozark (2)
Well, we get some movement in the rankings but I’m waiting for some Ozark Conference games before I’m ready to jump to any conclusions 🙂
Tonight’s game between Ozark and West Plains have been canceled due to weather conditions.
Willard vs Bolivar has been moved to Wednesday April 2nd
Camdenton at Nixa has been canceled
Tuesday’s games between Ozark and Catholic have been moved to the Ozark High School field.
My first priority this week is to be around to take in Tom Davidson’s 500th career win. The Tigers host West Plain’s tonight at 4:30 pm so that’s where I’ll start. Nick Schmitt will once again offer an in-depth article on Tom’s career so look for that this week as well. The latest info I’ve received on the game is that it is on, although Varsity-only now.
There are some college exhibition matches to point to this week. The Lady Bears are visiting Liberty, MO on Friday evening to play Iowa.
In Springfield, we can look forward to seeing the William Jewell Cardinals (based in Liberty) playing the Drury Panthers on Saturday. The women will play at 12:00 pm and it will be a great opportunity to see junior Katie Brooks (Parkview 2005). Megan Garrad (Glendale) and Jake Lumby (Ozark) have both committed this year to play for the Cardinals so this is a team you’ll be reading more about. They play in the HAAC (against Evangel) and the men went to the NAIA Final Four last year. They’ll play the Drury men at 2:00 pm.
The Panthers will also play the Missouri Southern Lions men on Saturday afternoon, at 4:00 pm. All games are scheduled for Harrison Stadium.
Missouri S&T Lady Miners are hosting the Truman Bulldogs, future home of Lou Opfer (Glendale). He Lou, how about providing a report on the game if you head up there!
Lake Country Soccer is hosting The Ozarks Coca Cola / Dr Pepper Friendship Cup this weekend. I know it’s hard to tell since there’s nothing on the home page about the tournament but I wouldn’t point you wrong.
For High School Girls, the Ozark Conference kicks off big time with all 10 teams playing Tuesday. Parkview hosts Rolla and Glendale hosts Joplin in Springfield, while Kickapoo travels to Waynesville, Hillcrest to Camdenton and Lebanon to West Plains.
Greenwood Girls begin their 2nd season Tuesday, hosting Pleasant Hope. Varsity only, the game is at 5:00 pm at Cooper.
And don’t forget that Champions League returns Tuesday and Wednesday. Manchester United takes on AS Roma on Tuesday at 1:30 pm on ESPN2 while Arsenal and Liverpool face off on Wednesday in the Quarterfinals.
On a final note, I’ve added the Paige Blotter video interview to the story on Kickapoo’s win Saturday.
The Lady Tigers shook off the cold and a tenacious Lady Goblins squad to even their record this season at 1-1. The 2-1 win came as a result of a pair of goals by sophomore Megan Gunnells, both created and assisted by senior Erica Hogan (pictured). The first came in the 31st minute as Hogan ran down a diagonal ball in the right corner before beating a pair of defenders and finding Gunnels near the PK spot. The second came in the 42nd minute as Hogan took the ball down the right side from the midfield line before sending a cross into the box. Gunnels pounced on the loose ball as the defender lost track of it and again confidently buried it.
The Goblins, who beat the West Plains Zizzers earlier this week, didn’t back down and got within one again on some nice combination work that led to a shot from inside the box. The initial shot went off the crossbar and the rebound fell to another Goblin who tapped in. Ozark held on to earn Coach Tom Davidson’s 499th career win. Their next game will be at home on Monday against West Plains.
The Ozark JV Squad won their JV Tournament on Saturday by beating Parkview 4-1 and Nixa 3-1.
At the Neosho Tournament, the Joplin Eagles earned the hardware by defeating Van Buren (AR) 4-0 on Saturday. The host Wildcats earned their first victory, and 3rd place in the six team round robin by shutting out the Central Bulldogs 5-0. Full report available in the Neosho Daily News.
The Moore American offers a fine story about Tom Pecore, Coach at Putnam City North in Oklahoma City, OK. PNC graduates include Missouri State Bears Lance Parker (MSU 2008, Chivas USA) and Chad Johnson (2010)
“Five years ago I was a drill sergeant type,” Pecore said. “Inflexible. It was my way or the highway. We will win and fight. It’s everybody against us. A combat attitude. We won’t do that anymore.”
Pecore decided that winning couldn’t be the focal point of his job. Turning boys into men was now at the top of his agenda. And for Pecore that meant changing his style.