Its season may have started slow, but the Glendale Falcons girls soccer team sure has turned things around.
On Tuesday night, they continued their good vibes, downing Waynesville 4-1 on senior night. Kristin Knetzer had a hat-trick and Alison Hawkins added a goal for the Falcons in the win.
“From the beginning of the season, we’ve learned to work with each other a lot better,” Knetzer said. “We’ve learned to not take (the ball) ourselves and use our teammates so that everyone has different looks and we have a better offense.”
Moments after the opening kick, Hawkins found the net from 15 yards out, giving Glendale the early lead.
“Once the whistle blew and we got that early goal, which kind of set the tone, the girls were focused,” Glendale coach Jeff Rogers said. “They’re just playing well right now.”
Knetzer made it a 2-0 Glendale in the 20th minute when she split a double team and struck the ball into the net. Two minutes later, she took advantage of a Waynesville penalty, converting the penalty kick for a 3-0 lead.
“On all my goals, I saw opportunities and took them and did my best,” Knetzer said. “I just wanted to help my team get the win in our last home game of the season.”
Waynesville got on the board in the 33rd minute when Krystina Zabek banged the ball off Glendale keeper Emma Brand from 25 yards out. The ball ricocheted into the goal. Knetzer got the goal back in the second half, striking the ball in from 20 yards away.
“They just keep getting better and better every day,” Rogers said. “I thought we moved the ball really well and had a lot of really good looks, and some nice finishes tonight.”
Glendale, which suffered lopsided losses earlier this year to Ozark and Catholic, has found its groove late in the year. They played powerhouse Nixa to a double-overtime loss and fell to undefeated Ozark Conference champion Rolla in penalty kicks. Their recent play has them brimming with confidence.
“A lot of people underestimate us and say that we’re underdogs,” Knetzer said. “Hopefully we can continue our good play in the postseason.”
Before they can think about postseason play, they’ll turn their attention to rival Kickapoo, who they’ll face Wednesday night in the regular season finale.
Waynesville 1 0 1
Glendale 3 1 4
GOALS
2:39—GHS—Alison Hawkins
19:21—GHS—Kristin Knetzer
21:24—GHS—Kristin Knetzer
32:39—WHS—Krystina Zabek
41:06—GHS—Kristin Knetzer
