Fairfield’s soccer programs split results on Monday, April 13th, as the girls delivered a dominant 10-0 mercy rule victory over Mount Pleasant in their home opener while the boys fell 3-2 in a competitive conference matchup.
Girls: Fairfield 10, Mount Pleasant 0
The Fairfield girls bounced back in a big way from a season-opening 4-0 loss to Burlington, putting on an offensive showcase in their home opener against Mount Pleasant. Emma Metcalf and Lexi Mast led the charge with a combined eight goals between them, while freshman Reyna Gonzalez and sophomore Anna McAvan each scored their first career varsity goals. The 10-goal victory margin is the largest for the program since a win at Centerville in 2018.
Metcalf opened the scoring at 35:35 in the first half, stealing the ball from a Panther player on the right side, moving toward the middle, and finishing with her left foot from outside the six-yard box. She struck again at 24:23, taking a pass from the Mount Pleasant goalkeeper, using one touch, and striking it from over 20 yards out near mid-center.
Mast then took over. At 22:58, Metcalf found Mast on a fastbreak near the center circle with no one in front of her. Mast got the goalkeeper to commit before sneaking it past her from about 14 yards out—Metcalf picking up the assist. Just 34 seconds later at 22:24, Mast got the ball off a high kick by a Panther player and kicked it down the field for herself, finishing with her left foot inside the 18-yard box.
Metcalf added her third goal of the half at 18:16 in dramatic fashion. Mast’s shot deflected off the keeper to the right side. Metcalf got the deflection, hit the top of the crossbar, got the ball back, and put it in on the second attempt. Mast struck again at 2:47, stealing a pass from a Panther player near the six-yard box and striking it in from center right by the penalty kick line with her left foot. Metcalf capped the first half at 2:27 when Mast dribbled around three defenders to the center circle line and found Metcalf, who shot it from just outside the 18-yard box — Mast getting the assist. Fairfield led 7-0 at halftime.
The second half brought more of the same. Gonzalez, a freshman, got on the board at 30:32 when Metcalf played a ball from the left side outside the center circle all the way ahead for Gonzalez, who ran it down and finished with her right foot to the left side of the goal — Metcalf collecting the assist. Mast added her fourth goal of the game at 25:05, collecting the goalkeeper’s kick, dribbling around a defender, and shooting it between two Panther players with her right foot to the left side of the goal inside the 18-yard box.
McAvan provided the final exclamation point at 21:00 to end the game by mercy rule. Metcalf found Carissa Fligg with an outstanding pass, and Fligg’s shot deflected off the side of the goal bar but stayed in bounds. McAvan collected the short deflection near the right side of the goal, faked the goalkeeper to the left, and went right to score her first career varsity goal in her sophomore season.
Metcalf and Mast each finished with four goals, with Metcalf adding two assists and Mast adding one. Gonzalez and McAvan each added one goal apiece. Gonzalez and McAvan, both typically listed as defenders, made the occasion even more special by scoring their first career varsity goals in the victory.
McAvan reflected on the milestone moment after the game. “It felt great,” McAvan said. “I normally play defense so I have been patiently waiting for my first goal to come.”
Head coach Ian Stabbe was pleased with the team effort. “The whole group played well and together,” Stabbe said. “They got a well-deserved conference win and we hope to continue on this same path in our upcoming games.”
Fairfield improves to 1-1 overall and 1-1 in conference play. Mount Pleasant falls to 0-3 overall and 0-2 in the conference.
Boys: Mount Pleasant 3, Fairfield 2
The Fairfield boys suffered their first loss of the season Monday, falling 3-2 to Mount Pleasant in a game that slipped away after Fairfield took the lead twice.
Oliver Siemsen scored in the first half to give Fairfield a 1-0 lead, assisted by Cormac Van Pelt. Van Pelt then converted a penalty kick in the second half to put Fairfield ahead 2-1. However, according to coach Felisto Guezimane, a couple of crucial defensive mistakes in Fairfield’s own third allowed Mount Pleasant to score twice and take the lead for good.
“We lost 3-2 tonight after taking the lead twice—1-0 in the first half and 2-1 in the second,” Guezimane said. “Then we made a couple of crucial mistakes on our defensive third and conceded two goals. We let this one slip, especially against a conference contender.”
The junior varsity squad also fell 2-0 on the night.
Fairfield takes their first loss of the season, falling to 2-1 overall and 1-1 in conference play. Mount Pleasant improves to 3-0-1 overall and 2-0 in the conference.
Photo courtesy of the Fairfield Community School District.
