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Ahead only 2-1 after the first half, Neosho head soccer coach Steve Schnackenberg showed his players a sterner side to his personality during his halftime pep talk.
Except there was little pep to his talk.
But whatever Schnackenberg said to his players, it worked as the Lady Wildcats came out and poured it on Carl Junction in the second half en route to a 5-1 victory Saturday morning in the 7th annual Neosho Tournament.
It was the second victory for Neosho in the tournament, following a 2-0 blanking of Hillcrest on Friday night in the opening round.
The victory improves Neosho’s record to 8-3. Neosho was scheduled to play Joplin Saturday night in the tournament title game, but it was washed out by thunderstorms.
“We came out in the second half and played a little more to our potential and played with some intensity,” Schnackenberg said of his team against Carl Junction. “That is what I asked them to do. In the first half, I felt like the girls just came out and wanted to get through this game so we could play Joplin later. We decided to play in the second half and earn the win.”
Neosho went ahead 3-1 early in the second half when Tori Wood scored on a penalty kick after a Carl Junction player put her hand up to block the ball in the box during a flurry of offensive scoring chances for the Lady Wildcats.
Four minutes later, Neosho took a 4-1 lead when sharpshooter Shelby Murray found the back of the net with a laser blast from the top of the box that deflected off a Carl Junction player.
The Lady Wildcats controlled the entire offensive tempo of the second half, as Carl Junction couldn’t muster even one offensive threat.
Neosho put the game on ice later in the second half when AshLeigh Thomlinson — 25 yards away from the goal — lofted a shot out of the reach of the goalkeeper and into the corner of the net.
Neosho’s first goal came seven minutes into the game on an own goal by Carl Junction. The Lady Wildcats’ second goal of the first half came when a ball deflected to Rachel Stuart, who took a shot inside the 18-yard box and found the net.
Ironically, the two teams will play each other again this week. Carl Junction visits at 5 p.m. Monday in a varsity-only game.
Neosho 2, Hillcrest
Neosho opened the tournament with a 2-0 victory over Ozark Conference foe Hillcrest on Friday night at Lions Field.
Murray netted the first goal for Neosho in the game, followed by a goal by Jackie Field.
“We did a good job of keeping the ball on our end, and attacking early,” Schnackenberg said. “Our defense held up good to any counterattacks. Hillcrest had some good possessions in the middle of the game, and our defense held up.”
Ahead only 2-1 after the first half, Neosho head soccer coach Steve Schnackenberg showed his players a sterner side to his personality during his halftime pep talk.
Except there was little pep to his talk.
But whatever Schnackenberg said to his players, it worked as the Lady Wildcats came out and poured it on Carl Junction in the second half en route to a 5-1 victory Saturday morning in the 7th annual Neosho Tournament.
It was the second victory for Neosho in the tournament, following a 2-0 blanking of Hillcrest on Friday night in the opening round.
The victory improves Neosho’s record to 8-3. Neosho was scheduled to play Joplin Saturday night in the tournament title game, but it was washed out by thunderstorms.
“We came out in the second half and played a little more to our potential and played with some intensity,” Schnackenberg said of his team against Carl Junction. “That is what I asked them to do. In the first half, I felt like the girls just came out and wanted to get through this game so we could play Joplin later. We decided to play in the second half and earn the win.”
Neosho went ahead 3-1 early in the second half when Tori Wood scored on a penalty kick after a Carl Junction player put her hand up to block the ball in the box during a flurry of offensive scoring chances for the Lady Wildcats.
Four minutes later, Neosho took a 4-1 lead when sharpshooter Shelby Murray found the back of the net with a laser blast from the top of the box that deflected off a Carl Junction player.
The Lady Wildcats controlled the entire offensive tempo of the second half, as Carl Junction couldn’t muster even one offensive threat.
Neosho put the game on ice later in the second half when AshLeigh Thomlinson — 25 yards away from the goal — lofted a shot out of the reach of the goalkeeper and into the corner of the net.
Neosho’s first goal came seven minutes into the game on an own goal by Carl Junction. The Lady Wildcats’ second goal of the first half came when a ball deflected to Rachel Stuart, who took a shot inside the 18-yard box and found the net.
Ironically, the two teams will play each other again this week. Carl Junction visits at 5 p.m. Monday in a varsity-only game.
Neosho 2, Hillcrest
Neosho opened the tournament with a 2-0 victory over Ozark Conference foe Hillcrest on Friday night at Lions Field.
Murray netted the first goal for Neosho in the game, followed by a goal by Jackie Field.
“We did a good job of keeping the ball on our end, and attacking early,” Schnackenberg said. “Our defense held up good to any counterattacks. Hillcrest had some good possessions in the middle of the game, and our defense held up.”
