The Lady Zizzers made the trek to Waynesville on Tuesday. With 4 goals from Senior Katie Pritchard, The Lady Tigers were victorious. Pritchard is nearing 2nd Place All-Time in Missouri for goals scored in a career. Waynesville was able to get on the board in the 11th minute on a goal from Natascha Lord, who hit an open shot from 14 yards away. Four minutes later, Pritchard notched her first goal after beating two defenders off the dribble and firing a shot into the far side of the goal. In the 25th minute Pritcahrd scored again on a similar play. Lynette Newcomb finished the first half scoring in the 40th minute as she redirected a cross from Lord to make it 4-0. The score could have been worse if not for some blocked shots by the Lady Zizzer defense and some spectacular saves by Goalkeeper Jamie Brassfield. The best save of the day and maybe the year was when Brassfield robbed Pritchard after Pritchard had hit a half-volley from the middle of the 18 yard box.
Pritchard started the second half with two quick goals. The first came in the 1st minute as she beat a couple of defenders off the dribble and put the ball in for the hattrick. In the 10th minute, Pritchard scored her fourth goal of the game on a penalty kick after West Plains was whistled for a handball in the 18 yard box. The final Waynesville goal came seven minutes later as Orielle Thomas put home a rebound after an initial save by Brassfield.
Despite the score, there were several positives for West Plains to take from the game. The attempts to get balls wide offensively were there. Communication among players continues to improve. People are starting to settle in to their new positions and are appearing more comfortable. With the win, Waynesville clinched at least a share of the Ozark Conference Championship. They can win the title outright with a win over Parkview on Thursday or a Glendale loss in any of their remaining Ozark Conference games.
In JV action, Waynesville won 4-0. The Lady Tigers got 2 goals in each half for the win. West Plains played alright at times, especially in the second half. In the second half, the Lady Zizzers began to play together more and were more successful moving the ball.
Next up for West Plains are games Friday at Nixa, weather permitting.