Saxony Lutheran girls soccer keeps it simple in victory over Cape Girardeau Central

There’s nothing special about the Saxony Lutheran girls soccer team’s game plan because with 11 seniors, it’s more a matter of simplifying the process.

Senior forward Grace Mirly led the way Friday with three goals and an assist, wrapping up the Crusaders’ regular-season home slate with a dominating 6-0 victory over Cape Girardeau Central.

“We’re a tough team, and we all preach to them to play simple,” Saxony coach Garrett Fritsche said. “That’s what we did, especially in the second half. ... We have a tendency to just work too hard when we’ve got the ball.

Cape Girardeau Central's Payton Alexander drives against Saxony Lutheran's Ashley Fritsche in the first half Friday, May 6, 2016 at Saxony Lutheran High School.Glenn Landberg

“Soccer should be just a big game of keep-away. Make the easy pass, and a lot of times, it’s just moving off the ball. The person with the ball has to have options, so it’s moving off the ball to get options and make the game easier.”

Saxony (16-1) had two shots on goal in the first 10 minutes of the game but took a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute. The Crusaders established some possession by laterally working the ball upfield. Mirly received a pass from senior midfielder Maddie Brune 15 yards in front of the net, blasting a shot from right to left that deflected off the hands of Central goalkeeper Katie Kinder but dribbled into the net.

Brune added her second assist of the game on a cross from the right corner that landed just in front of the net onto the head of Mirly, who thrusted the ball into the net for a 2-0 advantage for Saxony in the 15th minute.

The Crusaders finished with 20 shots on goal while the Tigers were held to only two. Much of Saxony’s offensive success was attributed to the effort in the midfield, where the Crusaders consistently won 50-50 balls and initiated their offense.

“Our midfield’s been extremely strong all year,” Fritsche said. “We really focus on possession and that you can’t possess without a strong midfield. ... It’s unbelievable what they can do, and when we just calm down and possess the ball, it’s hard to beat us.”

“I think it starts there, and I think that’s one of our weaknesses sometimes, not being able to cover in the middle,” Tigers assistant coach Greg Jones said about Saxony’s midfield. “They very much expose that from being able to move the ball side to side, but I thought that there were moments where we were able to keep them back.”

Central (3-15-1) limited the damage for the rest of the half, and the effort didn’t go unnoticed.

Kinder kept the Tigers from taking a three-goal deficit into the break when she made a diving save on Ashley Fritsche’s shot attempt in the 12th minute.

“She’s a great goalkeeper,” Jones said about Kinder, who finished with 14 saves. “The problem is that we’re letting up too many shots. We left up 20 shots, and that’s just too many for her to absorb.”

The Crusaders took a 3-0 lead in the 44th minute when senior midfielder Brianna Mueller worked past the defense 8 yards in front of the right post and blasted a shot on goal that was initially stopped by Kinder, but senior Heather Wills was there to tuck it in and clean up the loose ball.

Jones was encouraged by a 25-minute period of time in the second half, during which Central held Saxony without a goal.

Saxony Lutheran's Brianna Mueller works to maintain possession against Cape Girardeau Central's Mattie Huff in the second half Friday, May 6, 2016 at Saxony Lutheran High School.Glenn Landberg

“I think we actually did play well in the second half. ... There was a great 20-minute span there,” Jones said. “They are way more experienced — there’s no doubt about that. We’re playing with youth here, and I think with those last two goals, we just kind of didn’t play the way we should have.”

Ashley Fritsche, a sophomore, was playing left back when she scored in the 69th minute, lobbing a well-placed ball from 30 yards out into the top left corner of the net for a 4-0 Saxony lead.

“She’s not afraid to pull the trigger, and I tell all the outside backs that they have a green light,” Garrett Fritsche said. “Unless I just don’t trust them at all, which there’s no one on the team I don’t trust, they’ve got the green light. If they have an opportunity, they need to put it on.

“We constantly preach that to our outside backs, getting into the flow of the offense. We don’t just want them to just sit back and play defense. We want them to be involved, and they did tonight.”

Mirly scored her third goal of the game on an unassisted shot from 25 yards out in the 74th minute before contributing an assist a minute later.

Senior forward Tess Daniel showed a sudden burst of energy when she retrieved Mirly’s pass and used her speed to work down the sideline toward the left post. Daniel’s pass inside the box was blocked, but she corralled the rebound and placed it into the net for an easy goal.

“There is no ninth gear. It is 10th gear all the way, all the time, and that’s how she’s played growing up. She’s learned how to play with it,” Garrett Fritsche said about Daniel. “Sometimes speed can get in the way where you just go too fast, but she’s just learned how to control it, especially this year. She’s been unbelievable for us on the attack and also on defense.

“She never gives up, always 100 percent. That’s all you can ask for out of a player.”

Saxony Lutheran seniors are recognized during halftime in the game against Cape Girardeau Central Friday, May 6, 2016 at Saxony Lutheran High School.Glenn Landberg

Saxony goalie Raegan Wieser recorded her sixth shutout of the year. She only had two saves, which Fritsche mostly attributed to a solid performance from his defenders.

“They’re really starting to click these last few games, and you can tell with the shutouts just how they move the ball and get involved with the offense,” Garrett Fritsche said. “It’s a good time to be clicking on all cylinders going into districts in a week.”

Saxony had 11 seniors — Mirly, Brune, Mueller, Daniel, Wills, Wieser, Taylor Fritsche, Logan Meyr, Tayla Meyr, Ali Galemmo and Logan Welker — who were honored during halftime.

“It’s a special group. They mean so much to this program and this school,” Garrett Fritsche said. “They’ve done so much outside of soccer ... it’s just great to see them come out here and succeed, do what they want to do. They play hard and do what you ask. It’s just a great group to coach.”

Central has three games remaining in the regular season and returns to action Monday at home against Notre Dame.

The Crusaders conclude their regular season Tuesday on the road against Perryville. They continue their state title defense when the Class 1 District 1 tournament begins on May 16 at Saxony.

“They know what it takes, and they want it,” Garrett Fritsche said. “Sometimes you see seniors slacking off because they’re like, ‘Oh, I’m done with high school,’ but you can tell this group is ready to go.

“The farther we get along with the season, the closer we get to the postseason. You can tell their focus is right there.”