Lady Tigers Defeat the Yellowjackets
The Ozark squad faced off against the Lady Yellowjackets from Lebanon for the second time this season at home on Tuesday night. Possession and attacking opportunities were fairly even in the first half of play with both keepers seeing plenty of action, but neither side giving up a goal. The game winning goal was scored four minutes into the second half when Ozark forward Megan Gunnels out manuevered two defenders deep on the left side of the goal and then chipped the ball past the third defender into the path of fellow sophomore forward Alicia Collard who was making a near post run into the box. Alicia took a touch and placed her shot solidly into the back of the net. The Lady Tigers would score again in the 58th minute of play on a set piece served into the box by sophomore midfielder Rachel Haden. Gunnels made her run straight up the middle and timed it well. She met Haden’s serve as it came over the wall and took a big bounce towards the Yellowjacket’s keeper. Gunnels skillfully volleyed the ball over the keeper and into the goal just before the keeper could get her hands on the it. Lebanon had a few opportunities to level the score, including one shot that ricocheted off the inside corner of the left upright and travelled across the mouth of the goal before being cleared off the line by Ozark defender Megan Jenisch. Another shot hit the bottom corner of the crossbar and bounced back into the fray of defenders and attackers where is pinged off several players before being cleared out of the mess by an Ozark player. But in the end, Lebanon was unable to pierce the veil of the goal and the Lady Tigers walked away with their eleventh shutout of the season with a 2-0 victory. Ozark’s record now stands at 16-5-1.
In the junior varsity match that followed, the Lady Tigers JV squad also defeated the Lady Yellowjackets by a score of 2-0. Both goals for Ozark came in the first half of the JV match. The first goal was scored by Becca Wood on a well placed direct kick taken from just over 20 yards out. Becca sent her shot into the upper left corner of the goal well out of reach for Lebanon’s keeper. The second goal was scored by Mollie Killion who dribbled past several Yellowjackets on her way to goal. Ozark’s JV team now has a record of 14-1-1 on the season with just one game remaining on Thursday against West Plains.