LADY TIGERS SEE UNBEATEN SEASON END AT SECTIONAL

ST. LOUIS -- Over and over again, Cape Girardeau Central High goalkeeper Amy Harris gathered a St. Joseph's Academy shot and booted it back to midfield.

And over and over again in the sectional soccer game Thursday night at the Anheuser-Busch Conference & Sports Centre, the Angels rushed right back and took another stab at Harris. Twenty-seven in all.

Two attempts Harris couldn't stop, and Central lost 2-0. It was Central's second consecutive sectional loss after an undefeated regular season and district tournament title; the Lady Tigers finished with a record of 20-1-1.

St. Joe's, ranked No. 1 in the St. Louis coaches poll, improved to 22-2-5. The Angels, who got one goal in each half from junior Kristen Reinberg, will play Incarnate Word Saturday in the state quarterfinals.

The game's key numbers: St. Joe's outshot Central 27 to 3. Playing defense nearly the entire 80 minutes, the Lady Tigers had little chance to mount an offensive attack.

"Our defense played a very solid game, and they've played solid all year for us," said St. Joe's coach Maureen McVey. "We always come out and we want to control the tempo right from the start. I felt that we did."

"They were a lot better than us," said Central sophomore Lorie Bittle. "That was the best team we played this year."

Central coach Tom Doyle said his team took a defensive approach -- and the Lady Tigers' defense played well. But Central's offense never got going.

"(The Angels') midfield play was so strong," he said. "I'd say they won 90 percent of the 50-50 balls. They really go hard to the ball. Our girls should have gotten a lesson on going hard to the ball.

"Most of the time tonight we just booted the ball trying to relieve some pressure. We lined up today in a defensive mode ... and we did a pretty good job.

"The only thing we weren't doing is using the passing game."

The Angels scored the first goal midway through the first half. Freshman Cori Breen, pushing the ball up the middle of the field, led Reinberg with an excellent pass on the left side. Reinberg then crossed the ball to the right side past Harris, a senior who recorded 15 shutouts this season.

"I felt like we couldn't let them inside of us and ball side of us," Doyle said, "and the girl that scored that first goal got inside and ball side."

With about 13 minutes to go, Reinberg got wide open on the left side and drilled the ball in off the right post.

Central held sophomore Shelly Gruszka, whose 34 goals rank second in the St. Louis area, without a score. Junior goalie Jen Varrone got the shutout.