Lady Flashes advance to North State|Prep soccer playoffs
Published 12:00 am Sunday, January 31, 2010
Everybody kick, everybody score.
Eight different St. Aloysius Lady Flashes scored a goal in an 8-0 romp past an outmanned Winona squad in the second round of the Class 1A-2A-3A playoffs Saturday at Balzli Field.
St. Al (8-2-1) advanced to face division nemesis Madison-St. Joseph in the Class 1A-2A-3A semifinals Tuesday in Madison. St. Joe advanced with an 11-0 rout of Philadelphia on Saturday.
Click here for more photos
Winona saw its season end at 11-2.
St. Al has played Madison-St. Joe close twice this season, but lost 1-0 and 2-1.
“The beat us the last two games, both on free kicks,” St. Al senior Dayton Gamble said. “They have a fast team but I think we’ve learned how to play with them.”
While ice covered the stands, the scoring ice was broken early and often. Just over four minutes into the game, Riley Griffith took a pass from Dayton Gamble and scored from just outside the box to give St. Al a 1-0 lead.
Rachel Thomas followed with a goal from 12 yards out at the 16:26 mark and Gamble made it 3-0 on a shot from 25 yards out that found the lower left corner.
Gamble, one of nine St. Al seniors, spent most of the second half setting up her teammates for goals — including keepers Tori Hines and Alexa Baltezon, who were able to move to the field because of the lopsided score. Gamble finished with a goal and four assists.
“It was really good practice to get us ready for Madison St. Joe,” Gamble said.
Gamble got her second assist on a cross to Madison Lumbley for a 4-0 lead nine minutes into the second half.
Seventh-grader Haley Prescott got into the scoring act on a feed from Griffith. At the 19:06 mark, Baltezon booted one in off a cross from Gamble for a 6-0 lead.
Ansley Fulcher got the Lady Flashes’ seventh goal and Hines, who begged coach Keiko Booth to play the field, got the last at the 26th minute.
“I think my last goal was three years ago. I never get to play much in the field, but I wanted to today,” Hines said.
St. Al coach Keiko Booth was glad to see everyone on her team play and succeed.
“That was nice. Everyone got a little playing time. Now we can look forward to Madison-St. Joe.”
Contact Jeff Byrd at jbyrd@vicksburgpost.com