Spoofhound soccer gets win over Benton

By Morgan Guyer

Maryville girls soccer grabbed a 4-1 victory over St. Joseph Benton on April 18.

The result wasn’t always certain, as Benton grabbed the opening goal with 15 minutes left in the first half. The goal seemed to kick the Spoofhounds in gear, however, as they began to gain more and more possessions while inching closer to their first goal.

With under five minutes left in the half, Senior Cleo Johnson entered the pitch. A few minutes later, her strike found the back of the net to tie the game going into the half.

“As soon as I stepped on the field, I felt like the energy went up,” Johnson said. “We had everyone moving toward the ball faster, getting the ball, looking for open spaces. It just felt good.”

Johnson had injured her ankle last week and didn’t know if she would play against Benton.

The Spoofhounds are now on a four-game winning streak, and Johnson sees it continuing.

“We keep hyping each other up, and the more confidence we get, the better we play,” Johnson said.

The Spoofhound pressure continued into the second half, as freshman Braelyn Hannigan would score the go-ahead goal eight minutes in. Maryville dominated the second half, creating multiple chances, and Johnson would add her second goal of the game with around nine minutes to play. Freshman Addison Weldon scored a few minutes later to seal the victory.

Johnson finished the game with two assists, giving her direct involvement in all of Maryville’s goals. Head Coach Chase Tolson still sees some areas that need improvement.

“We need to finish better,” Tolson said. “A lot of our chances we just kick right to the goalie. That’s the next step for us.”

Maryville now has a chance to rest up with a one-week break before their next game on April 26 against St. Pius X, one of the toughest challenges the Spoofhounds will face this season.

“We are playing really good soccer right now,” Tolson said. “Nobody is creating anything against us. I think with the way we are playing, we can take the next step and finally get a win against them.”