SOLON– The Lady Spartan varsity soccer team advanced to the Class 1A Region 8 championship against the Davenport Assumption Catholic Knights, in Davenport, on Friday, June 4, following a 3-0 triumph over the Mid-Prairie Golden Hawks, in Spartan Stadium, on Tuesday, June 1.
“It’s hard to beat a team twice in a season,” was the phrase resounding in many conversations prior to Tuesday’s game against Mid-Prairie. The Lady Spartans met the Golden Hawks previously, on Monday, April 19, in Wellman, in a 5 p.m. regular season game, earning a 2-0 victory, scoring once in the first half and once in the second to claim a victory.
Head Coach Amanda Paulson commented previously about the April 19, 2-0 victory, “I thought the game was a little slow in the first half. It was a cold game and we were playing in long grass and, as a result, I thought our energy offensively was a little slow. However, we were more dangerous than Mid-Prairie and I thought energy improved in the second half.”
The Lady Spartans once again became dangerous in the second half on Tuesday, June 4.
“Our plan was to utilize the space we have on our field and the speed of the turf to move the ball around Mid-Prairie,” Coach Paulson said. “I felt the speed of our play was much better than our earlier matchup.”
The tempo of the first half was quite fevered and it was evident by the halftime 0-0 knot it would be a tale of conditioning and desire in the second half.
The Lady Spartans rained a hail of shots at the Golden Hawks’ goal in the final moments of the first half, after much of a first half with Solon assailing the Mid-Prairie goal either just outside or over the top while turning back the occasional Golden Hawk skirmish.
Morgan Link captured the Golden Hawks’ attention early in the game as Mid-Prairie pulled an additional defender in an effort to isolate Link’s offensive presence.
“Our talk at half focused primarily on our possession and continuing to get crosses into the box,” Coach Paulson said. “With Morgan (Link) man marked, it was important she drew defenders out of the space, allowing more movement for other players– especially in the middle.”
With no long grass slowing down the game for Mid-Prairie it was a test of both teams’ reserves in the second and the Golden Hawks faltered first, allowing Lady Spartan Stella Mesch to score a goal, at the 35:32 mark, from midfield courtesy of a Link assist.
The Golden Hawks made their first real threat on the Lady Spartan goal with 29:02 but it sailed wide to the left.
A little less than three minutes later, Link broke downfield, reeling defenders to her, sidestepping them like a Sunday afternoon stroll, and delivered a Solon goal and a 2-0 lead, with 26:08 remaining.
Gabby Knipper added a goal, courtesy of a Link assist, with 22:46 remaining, a header into the goal from a corner kick. It was Solon’s final goal of the game.
The Lady Spartans maintained the pressure to end the game, running the clock out and advancing to the regional final game on Friday, in Davenport.
“I felt Izzy (Paisley) and Maria (Milliman) did a great job stepping to the ball and supporting our attack going forward,” Coach Paulson praised. “Tali (Radcliffe) also came out strong as an outside midfielder.”
As a team, the Lady Spartans took 16 shots, eight on goal, and recorded two assists while limiting the Mid-Prairie Golden Hawks to just two shots. Mid-Prairie’s goalkeeper Emily Swartzendruber served 80 minutes in the goal, credited with five saves and allowed the three goals.
Solon’s keeper Alex Paisley played all 80 minutes for Solon and recorded one save.
Knipper scored a goal and fired six times, four on goal; Link had two assists, and scored with her sole shot on goal; Stella Mesch scored one goal off six shots, three of which were on goal; and Georgia Havlicek, Alex Locke and Grace Yetley all took a shot apiece.
The win placed Solon at 14-5 on the season, advancing them to the Class 1A Region 8 final against the 13-5 Assumption Catholic Knights, at Assumption High School in Davenport, on Friday, June 4.
Coach Paulson was well aware of the threat ahead for her Lady Spartans but planned for success and capturing the regional championship.
“Davenport Assumption is a strong team with skilled players,” she said. “I am hoping to capitalize on their back line with a lot of movement out wide, away from their skilled center mids. This will be a tough battle but I look forward to watching the girls play and seeing how they measure up.”
She concluded, “We have a fantastic group of hardworking individuals with a lot of heart.”

Gallery • 4 Photos

Lady Spartan senior Sydney Rissman takes a forearm from Mid-Prairie junior Lilou Beachy as she tries to move the ball upfield with teammate sophomore Morgan Link.