Seniors Carry Panther Soccer to 9-0 Win

The  seniors led the team by scoring all but two goals in a 9-0 rout of Parkway North Friday.

Lauren Guerrero had two goals, with fellow senior Katie Rapisardo and sophomore Kayla Hezel giving the Panthers a 4-0 lead in the first half.

“They did a good job and the seniors led the scoring and that’s what’s fun about it,” Mehlville coach Tom Harper said. “This is the way we’ve been playing and this is the kind of streak we’ve put together and this is the time you want that culmination of that skills set to come together and we’re starting to see that from this group.” 

Senior Abby Presson scored to start the second half, and Allison Wade made it 6-0 with 21 minutes left. Guerrero took another shot with 16 minutes left, but the Parkway North goalie deflected it right to Katie Fiala, who kicked it in. Seniors Alex Adelman and Haylee Thibodeaux added two more goals in the last 15 minutes of the game. 

It was Presson's first goal of the year, adding to the excitement of Senior Night.

“Usually, he (Harper) tells me to take my space and hit it and I got my space and hit it, and luckily, it went through her hands. I freaked out and I was like, ‘Yes! Finally my first goal,’” she said.

The 4-year varsity player said the game was especially emotional.

“I feel like I’m extremely close with this group of girls, more than I have been any other years I’ve been on varsity,” she said.

Nine seniors will graduate after the season: Adelman, Fiala, Whitney Banjai, Guerrero, Allison Johnson, Presson, Rapisardo, Claire Steward and Thibodeaux.

The win is the Panthers’ fifth in a row, improving to 8-9 for the season. The team has three games left before districts, and Harper was impressed with the tempo of the victory.

“It could have been one of those games where you let your guard down a little and it could have burned you and for them, they wanted the shutout and that was important to them once they got the game managed in the first half,” he said.

Check out more photos from the game on our Facebook page.