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Dixon, Sikeston shut down Blackcats 3-1
SIKESTON -- Getting her first start in net for Sikeston this season, sophomore Sarah Dixon proved more than capable of helping the Lady Bulldogs to their third win of the season.
Limiting visiting Fredericktown to one goal on 11 shots, Dixon helped Sikeston hold on to an early lead to beat the Lady Blackcats 3-1.
"Sarah did well," Lady Bulldogs' coach Doyle Noe said. "This is actually her first varsity experience overall after playing goalie last year when she was on junior varsity. She stepped in and played great tonight.
"The goal (she gave up) wasn't really her fault. She even got a hand on it and almost saved that, so she did very well. I was proud of her for stepping in and doing that."
Up 2-1 and with the wind at their back near the 14 minute of the second half, Sikeston got some much needed insurance when Katherine Inman hit Kristen King in stride with a pass on the right side of the net.
Left with a open shot, King hammered the ball into the back of the net to put her team up 3-1.
"You cross the ball to the weak side a lot of times you'll catch the defenders out of position and you'll leave a favorable breakaway," said Noe. "It gives you good numbers against the other team and Katherine did that.
"She settled, made a good turn, she made a great cross and Kristen was right in front of her. Kristen just had to take a touch and then she finished the shot so it was a good play by both of them."
The goal gave Sikeston a little breathing room after Fredericktown's Courtney Tinnin put in a goal 9:25 into the second half to cut Sikeston's lead to one.
Fighting with two defenders just a few feet in front of the net, Tinnin sent a shot past Dixon for the Lady Blackcats lone goal of the game.
It was just 4:08 into the second half that Sikeston had taken a 2-0 lead off a free kick from Morgan Johnson. Johnson hit a curving shot from just outside the left corner of the box that dropped in on the right side of Fredericktown's goalkeeper.
Playing into a strong win the entire first half, it was 18 minutes in the game that the Lady Bulldogs got things going when Inman hit a shot towards the right side of the net, hitting the side post and bouncing in to give Sikeston the lead.
"I was so excited," Inman said. "I just took a chance at a shot and made it."
Added Noe, "she'd tell you she's not aiming for the post, but it's a good shot. Especially going against the wind. In those conditions a lot of times you just want to weather the storm and get to the second half up a goal or so or at least tied.
"That early goal against the wind was big and I think it kind of deflated (Fredericktown) a little bit and gave us a little more confidence moving forward."
Though they drop to 1-5 on the year, Lady Blackcat coach Rhonda Starkey was pleased with the improvements she saw in her team compared to their last game.
"We've had a lot of injuries," she said. "We've had two girls of our main girls out with injuries. That's hurt as we've had to shuffle people around.
"But I thought they looked much better today than they have so I was proud of them."
Earlier in the evening, the two schools junior varsity squad faced off with Fredericktown scoring a last minute goal to end the game in a 1-1 tie.
Now at 3-3 on the season, Sikeston will host Harrisburg on April 13.