The West Plains Lady Zizzers soccer team capped its regular season with a 4-0 win over the Greenwood Laboratory School Lady Jays on May 13 at Cooper Soccer Complex in Springfield, bouncing back from a tough 7-0 road loss to Carl Junction the day prior.
Greenwood
After a challenging recent stretch of matches, the Lady Zizzers were aggressive against Greenwood, controlling possession and focusing heavily on the attack.
“The Greenwood game was a nice breather for us,” West Plains Head Coach Jessica Ball said. “We have had a lot of tougher games recently. Ending the regular season on a win was just what these girls needed.”
West Plains kept pushing forward throughout the match, creating opportunities with cleaner passing and more decisive movement in the attacking third. The sustained offensive presence also relieved pressure on the back line and goalkeeper.
“They played hard, took lots of shots and had some fun,” Ball said. “They played a great offensive game, which was a nice break for our defenders and goalkeeper. We connected passes and looked for opportunities to shoot.”
Carl Junction
A day prior, on May 12, the Lady Zizzers found themselves in a much different match against a Carl Junction Bulldogs team that quickly took control.
The Bulldogs leaned heavily on one attacking player who repeatedly broke into dangerous space, forcing West Plains to spend a significant portion of the match defending under pressure.
“Carl Junction was a tough game,” Ball said. “They had one player that scored most of their goals. She was fast and hard to defend. It was also a pretty physical game. We had to mentally be tough for that game.”
Even as the match slipped away, Ball said the Lady Zizzers continued communicating and competing rather than unraveling.
“Despite the score, the team showed composure and commitment in moments where the game could have unraveled,” she said. “Their communication — something they’ve leaned on all season — remained steady even as they struggled to win 50-50 balls or maintain possession through contact."
West Plains’ defense was squeezed throughout the contest but kept working to limit Carl Junction's opportunities.
“The back line, under constant stress, held firm for long stretches and prevented the deficit from growing even larger,” Ball said. “We play a pretty competitive schedule and [have] definitely taken more losses than we wanted, but the team continues to show growth, which is what we are focused on.”
Ball noted that the late point in the school year presents its own unique brand of challenges, but the team’s effort level has not wavered.
“May is also just a hard month to stay focused, as school is dwindling down and there are so many other events calling for the players' attention,” Ball said. “The girls have continued to show up, work hard and put out the effort they came into the season with.”
