Miami Trace sophomore Merrick Montgomery fights for position with a Westfall defender during the first half of their contest on Friday, Aug. 11, 2023. The Mustangs would defeat the Panthers by a score of 4-2.
The 2023 soccer season began on Friday, Aug. 11 for the Miami Trace Panthers boys and girls teams as they traveled to Westfall for “Friday Night Futbol”. The first game of the evening saw two boys teams compete, followed by the girls contest.
The Panthers fell into an early 2-0 deficit that they carried into the half. Miami Trace was in scoring territory for most of the latter part of the first half but were unable to find the back of the net.
With just under 35 minutes to go in the game, the Mustangs punched one into the back right corner of the net to extend the lead to three goals.
A little over a minute later, the Panthers got their first goal of the season on a deep kick from sophomore Landon Burns to cut the lead to 3-1.
Roughly ten minutes later, a Westfall player lofted one just over the outstretched arms of the Panther goalkeeper and into the net to regain a three goal lead.
The final goal of the game came with just under eight minutes remaining, as Burns drilled a corner kick that senior Pierce McCarty attempted to score with a header. The ball hit off of the right goalpost and the Mustang keeper knocked it into the goal while trying to make the save, making the score 4-2 in favor of Westfall, which was the final.
After a short intermission, the girls game began.
The game was never in doubt as the Lady Panthers scored early and often en route to a 12-1 victory over the Lady Mustangs. Miami Trace enjoyed a 7-0 halftime lead and tacked on five more in the second half to just one for Westfall.
Leading the way for the Lady Panthers was freshman Elyse Day with a hat trick in her first career varsity appearance. Freshmen Marian Mara and Nora Morrison each scored two goals in their debut contests. Sophomore Hailey Webster chipped in two goals, freshman Karleigh Cooper scored one, sophomore Belle DeBruin added one, and junior Hannah Houck scored one to round it out.
Day and Cooper both led in assists with two, followed by Mara, Webster, Morrison, DeBruin, and Houck with one each.
Junior goalkeeper Madison Cory had two saves in goal.
The Lady Panthers (1-0) are back in action on Thursday, Aug. 17 at home against Ross Southeastern at 5:30 p.m.
The Panthers (0-1) return to competition on Saturday, Aug. 19 at Alexander at 1 p.m.
