Hornets Take Moberly to the Limit

Seniors Steven Maddox and Dan McClure were given quite the send-off as Senior Night proved to be an epic contest between the Fulton Hornets and the visiting Moberly Spartans on Thursday.  Tied in regulation and through two overtimes, the match went to the dreaded PK's, where the Spartans prevailed 6-5 to record the 2-1 victory.

In a hard-fought match, the Fulton defense was put to the test throughout the match, but came up time after time to keep the Hornets in a match.  Senior goalkeeper Dan McClure had the match of his life.  Without his heroics, the match could have easily been a rout in favor of the Spartans.

The Hornets were fortunate to take the lead late in the first half as the goal largely came against the run of play.  Darren Jones in an advanced position played the ball wide to Jakob Hull who crossed the ball to Jake Pierce.  His initial shot was saved, but freshman forward Trevor Neal slid in to put back the loose ball to give the Hornets the 1-0 lead.

From that point onward, it was all blue.  The Fulton offense only generated one good attack in the second half, which left the defense in desperation mode.  In the 72nd minute, the defensive dam broke as Moberly hammered home a loose ball from close in to tie the match.

Unable to settle the match in OT, the teams went to penalty kicks.  Fulton's first shot was saved, but the next four shooters were able to convert from the 12 yard mark.  As the first four Moberly shooters each made their shots, the last Moberly shooter faced tremendous pressure.  When he missed to keep Fulton alive, the shootout went into extra rounds.  Fulton's jubilation proved short-lived.  Moberly's keeper narrowly saved Fulton's next shot and then Moberly scored on its next shot to end the match.

The JV squad ended their season undefeated as their match was a 0-0 tie.

Fulton travels to Mexico and Warrensburg next week.

Hornets Avenge Earlier Loss to Hannibal

The Hornets traveled on Tuesday to Hannibal and came away with a solid 2-0 win against the Pirates.  Second half goals by sophomore Brian McCarthy and senior Dan McClure paced the Hornets to spoil Hannibal's Senior Night.

A full match report will be posted Thursday morning.

Fulton Loses Late to Marshall

On Monday night the Fulton Hornets and Marshall Owls completed their game that was suspended earlier in the season due to weather and field conditions.  The match resumed in the 29th minute of the first half with the Owls leading 1-0.  The Hornets played well in the "first half" on Monday, but really turned it on in the second half.  the Hornets tied the match when Nick Seelinger laid off a nice ball to an onrushing Nick Heimericks, who hit a first-time shot from 30 yards out that had "eyes" for the left post.  The score clearly rattled the Owls and spurred on the Hornets, who really stepped up their game.  Unfortunately, the Hornets would give up two late goals to lose 3-1.

Hornets Lose to Helias

Nick Heimericks came within inches of leveling the match.  Photo:  Ken McCarty

On Saturday the Fulton Hornets hosted the Helias Crusaders for a preview of the District 11 tournament.  Although the Crusaders prevailed thanks to a penalty kick, the Hornets can look forward to meeting the Crusaders again.  With the exception of the penalty kick, there was very little separating the two squads.  Given that all but one of the Crusader starters is a senior, the Hornets can be proud of how well they played as well look with anticipation to next year's series with Helias.

In a physical and contentious match, the Hornets gave as good as they got.  The contest began well for the Hornets as they generated several good chances early, mostly from outside the box.  The best chance in the first half came when Nick Seelinger forced a diving save out of the keeper to earn the corner.  Unfortunately, the promising start was cut short when Helias was awarded a penalty kick midway through the first half.  Well taken into the left corner, the pk gave Helias a 1-0 lead.  The Hornets struggled to find their way back into the match, but continued to battle and finally righted the ship toward the end of the half.

In the second half the Hornets increased their attacks on goal with several good chances.  The best opportunity came late in the match as the Hornets threw everything at the Helias goal to secure the equalizer.  Off a Fulton corner, the ball came to Nick Heimericks on the left side.  His low, curling shot "tinked" off the far post as Helias fans breathed a sigh of relief.

Cruz Gomez (l) and Ben Kucera (r) on the attack in the JV game.

As cruel as Lady Fortune was to the Hornets in the varsity match, she certainly smiled on the Hornets in the JV match.  Although both teams generated good chances, the Crusaders were unfortunate not to take the lead twice:  first, when a Helias player was left onside in the box, but sent his shot wide left and second, when a long distance shot went off the crossbar.  However, it was the Hornets who got on the scoreboard first.  In the 17th minute, Jonathan "JP" Perry sent Cruz Gomez in behind the defense.  The keeper came out well, but Gomez stayed with the play and won the second battle for it.  A quick shot into the empty net put the Hornets up 1-0.  The Hornets had a chance to go up by two, but Daniel Lair's surging run up the right-hand side was narrowly diverted before he could shoot.

The second half belonged mostly to Fulton, but before the match could end, the defense -- especially Nick Heimericks -- had to come up big.  Sam Mayne, Luke Nigus, and Cody Pae were tested several times, but rose to the occasion each time.  The Hornets remain undefeated on the season.

The Hornets return to action on Monday night at 7:00 against Marshall.  This will be the resumption of the match suspended earlier this season.  It will be a varsity-only match.

Hornets Drop Tough One to Kirksville

The Fulton Hornets lost a heart-breaker Thursday night to Kirksville giving up a goal in the 76th minute to lose 1-0.  It was a game that Fulton can rightly feel was snatched from them.  Fulton had two excellent chances to score from close range in the first half, but Jake Pierce and Peter Plakorus were unable to steer their shots past the keeper. The game winner for Kirksville came in the dying moments of the game when a free kick at the edge of the Fulton box was not properly dealt with and Kirksville was able to drive it to the right post past keeper Dan McClure.  Fulton nearly sent the game into overtime when Morgan Milligan drove into the box but his shot -- unfortunately -- was pressured and ended up going right at the keeper.

In the JV game the Hornets continued their winning ways by defeating Kirksville 3-1.  The Hornets went on top 8 minutes into the match when a corner kick from Trevor Neal found its way into the back of the net.  In the second half, Sam Mayne doubled the lead with a somewhat fortunate goal.  With the Hornets high up the field, Mayne attempted to send a cross back into the mixer in front of the goal.  A slight deflection off the leg of a Kirksville player sent the ball goalward and over the outstretched hands of the keeper.  Kirksville was able to cut the lead to one when a surging run on the left side put a Kirksville player alone in the box, where he was able to beat Nick Heimericks on the near post.  However, Fulton's Ben Kucera restored the two goal advantage with 8 minutes remaining with a cracker of a goal when he cut inside and shot from the top of the box.  His shot dipped just under the crossbar to make the score 3-1.  With the win, the JV remain undefeated this season.

Odds and Ends

The cancellation of the Warrensburg game affords the opportunity to take care of a few odds and ends.

First, an update on the high school soccer field.  Director of Maintenance, Tim Echelmeier, has been hard at work renovating the field.  The field has been tilled and soil amendments brought in to restore the soil to health.  In addition, some of the low lying areas were leveled. Today the field was reseeded with a cool-season grass.  An additional layer of sand/soil will be spread tomorrow to lightly cover the seed.  With good weather, we should have germination in a couple of weeks.

Second, greetings to our international readers.  Some of you may be interested to know that we have attracted some interest in Fulton soccer from around the world.  Some of these may simply be individuals who are travelling on business; others may be folks with a Fulton connection.  At any rate, if any of our "foreign" readers would be interested in sharing their connection to Fulton soccer (or how they found us), I'm sure that their comments would be well received.  Here are some of the countries where the blog's readers can be found:

Pageviews by Countries United States 677 Netherlands 38 Philippines 19 Germany 17 Canada 8 Austria 1 Iran 1 Lebanon 1 Thanks to all our readers, regardless of where you are from.

Fulton Loses to Marshall; JV Wins Again

The game in a nutshell:  Marshall rises high above Fulton.

It was a tough outing for the Fulton Hornets as they went on the road to Marshall.  Marshall, which has only lost one game this season (to Columbia Rock Bridge), showed their quality early.  In the second minute, Marshall scored on a blast from Jon Najera.  The shot from well outside the box took an unfortunate deflection off Morgan Milligan and went just inside the left post to give the Owls a 1-0 lead.  The Hornets nearly equalized moments later when Peter Plakorus put Zach Thomas in alone on a charging keeper, but Thomas was unable to keep his shot on target. Marshall then doubled their lead in the 10th minute when Erik Moreno slalomed through the defense for a point blank shot.  There was nothing that Dan McClure could do to prevent the goal.  In response, Fulton mustered a few shots but nothing to really trouble the Owl's keeper.  Najera scored his second goal in the 29th minute when the Fulton defense did their best imitation of Greg Louganis.  As they dove in, Najera used their momentum against them and cut through the heart of the defense for an easy score for the 3-0 lead.  Demonstrating that defense is a collective responsibility, Fulton's defense woes continued when the midfield failed to track a Marshall defender into the box. When the danger was recognized, it was too late as Ebert Alvarez rose to meet a cross from the left and easily headed it in to hand the Hornets a 4-0 half-time deficit.

Fulton showed a little better in the second half, but it must be said that that was partly due to the Owls taking their foot of the gas.  Chad Davis and Darren Jones each got off solid efforts from distance that resulted in corner kicks.  The defense stepped up its efforts as well to put immediate pressure on the Marshall attackers, which paid dividends as the dangerous chances for Marshall largely dried up.  Fulton was able to secure a late consolation goal when Jake Pierce struck a freekick from just outside the box.  His shot sailed past the keeper to the upper right corner to make the final score 4-1.

It was a completely different story in the junior varsity as the Hornets won 1-0.  The Hornets came out prepared to play from the opening whistle.  The dual-rostered players proved a calming influence as Fulton dominated possession in the attacking third.  Ben Kucera and Jakob Hull paired up nicely in the midfield and along with the defense (Sam Mayne, Luke Nigus, Daniel Lair, and Cody Pae) were able to launch numerous attacks on the Marshall goal. Unfortunately, the Hornets faced a very good keeper in Isaac Phillips, who stopped shot after shot.  In the second half, the Hornets continued to press for the win.  Sam Mayne came up from his defensive position to crack a hard shot off the crossbar and moments later, Jakob Hull tagged a shot upper 90 but was foiled by the keeper.  The breakthrough came with just five minutes to play when Sam Mayne sent in a hard low cross from the right.  Scott Strough ran onto it and kept his shot low to finish past the keeper to give the Hornets the victory.  With the win, the Fulton JV remain undefeated this season.

The Hornets play next on Monday in Warrensburg.

Hornets Dominate Boonville, 6-0

Where are the Pirates?  Sam Mayne heads clear as (from left to right) Morgan Milligan, Nick Seelinger, and Steven Maddox look on.

Darren Jones attacks the Boonville goal as two defenders attempt to assist their keeper.

Fresh off their Camdenton Tournament championship, the Fulton Hornets traveled to Boonville on Tuesday and turned in a dominating performance against the Pirates.  While Boonville was able to limit the damage in the first half, only surrendering one goal, the Hornets peppered their opponent's goal throughout the game and exploded for five goals after the break.

The Hornets got off to a good start, scoring off a free kick in the 7th minute when Jake Pierce hammered a low shot from the edge of the box.  While the Hornets would not score again in the half, it was not for want of commitment to the attack.  The Hornets got off 14 shots in the half with nine different players recording shots.  

The second half was again one-way traffic in the direction of the Boonville goal.  Pierce scored twice more to record the hat-trick and Zach Thomas picked up two goals to lead the Hornets' offensive explosion.  In the 48th minute, Pierce dribbled to his right across the box and fired a low shot back to the far post.  Pierce then turned provider in the 54th minute when he sent a curling cross to Peter Plakorus who was alone on the doorstep for the easy tap-in to make 3-0,

With the Pirates' sails flagging, the Hornets went for the kill.  Two goals in two minutes signaled the Hornets cut-throat mentality.  Pierce completed the hat-trick when he pounced on a poor clearance at the top of the box.  His shot squirmed under the diving keeper to make the score 4-0.  A minute later Darren Jones played Zach Thomas through for a short-range shot to make the score 5-0.   Thomas added a second goal moments from time when he headed down a cross from Plakorus.  Following in, he sent the ball to the far post to finish out the scoring.

The defense performed ably and limited the Pirates to only a handful of half chances to help earn keeper Dan McClure the shutout.

In the junior varsity game, the Hornets showed some rustiness after not having played in several weeks.  The best chance of the first half belonged to the Pirates when a defensive miscommunication put a Boonville player in alone on the keeper.  Nick Heimericks did well to stand his ground and was able to tip the point-blank shot  over the bar for the corner.  In the second half, Fulton generated a number of good chances, the best coming off a Cruz Gomez shot that he scuffed wide of the post.  The game ended in a scoreless tie, keeping the Hornets unbeaten streak alive.

Fulton returns to action on Thursday night when they travel to take on Marshall.  Marshall has only lost once this season, a 0-6 loss to Rock Bridge.

Three Hornets Named to All Tournament Team

Congratulations to senior Dan McClure and juniors Jake Pierce and Morgan Milligan for being named to the Camdenton Laker Shootout All-Tournament Team.  McClure recorded the shutout against West Plains and scored against Lebanon, but really came up big against Camdenton with several fine saves as well as the game winning PK in the shootout.  Jake Pierce score once against West Plains, but saved his best game for Camdenton.  In that game, he scored twice in regulation, the first off a freekick and the second from the penalty spot.  He also scored a PK in the shootout.  As he has all season, Morgan Milligan anchored the defense and scored a glorious long-distance goal in the match against Lebanon.  He, too, scored his PK in the shootout against Camdenton.

The rest of the tournament team is as follows:

Colton Hensley, West Plains
Nick Huey, Camdenton
Gabe Kenemer, Lebanon
Dan McClure, Fulton
Murray McFarlane, Hannibal
Elliot Meyer, Hannibal
Morgan Milligan, Fulton
Jake Pierce, Fulton
Vincent Sabourin, Osage
Jeron Sinclair, Camdenton

Camdenton Tournament Champs!!!

2010 Camdenton Laker Shootout Champs

The Fulton Hornets are the 2010 Camdenton Laker Shootout champions.  Coming off a 2-0 victory over West Plains on Friday night, the Hornets took on the Camdenton Lakers and the Lebanon Yellowjackets on Saturday. In a thrilling match that saw two overtimes, the Hornets defeated the Camdenton Lakers 6-5 in penalty kicks.  In their final match, Fulton defeated Lebanon 4-0 to secure the tournament championship.

In what proved to be the tournament championship game, Fulton took on a very good Camdenton Laker squad in an epic back and forth match.  From the opening whistle, Fulton came out full of energy.  Quick passing combinations and a "first to the ball" mentality from Fulton kept the Lakers on the defensive.  Fulton's reward came in the 32nd minute when Peter Plakorus carried deep into the Camdenton penalty box.  Just before the endline, he was able to chip the keeper to provide a wide open Zach Thomas with a simple header on the back post.  Fulton's lead proved to be short-lived as four minutes later, Camdenton capitalized on a header from a free-kick to tie the game.

In the second half Camdenton had the wind to their backs and a renewed energy to their play.  A quarter of an hour into the half Camdenton took the lead off a deep run and cross to the back post.  Fulton responded well.  Minutes later Thomas was taken down just outside of the penalty box in the 62nd minute.  Jake Pierce lined up the free-kick and struck a low, hard shot around the wall into the left side of the goal to tie the match at two goals apiece with just 18 minutes remaining.  Camdenton seized the lead again just moments later when Fulton failed to deal with a loose ball in the box.  The Hornets continue to battle and were rewarded with just 7 minutes remaining when a Laker handled the ball in the box.  Pierce took the resulting penalty and powered a hard shot high into the net to knot the match (and everyone's stomachs) at 3-3.

After two sudden-death overtimes that saw few chances for either team, it came down to the dreaded penalty kicks.  With memories of Fulton's penalty kick loss to Hannibal fresh in the fan's minds, there was a fair amount of trepidation among the Fulton fans going into the shootout.  Both teams performed well from the spot, with Fulton having the slightest of advantages, namely stellar keeping from Nick Heimericks.  After getting a hand on the first Camdenton shot, he served notice that their shots had to be well taken.  This would prove decisive.  After five rounds, the score was tied 4-4 (one Fulton shot was saved, while a Camdenton player missed altogether).  The next two shooters both made their shots to keep the shootout level at 5-5.  Dan McClure then scored in the next round putting all the pressure on Camdenton.  When the next Camdenton player missed his shot, the Fulton team erupted in joyous celebration.

In the second match of the day, Fulton took on the winless Lebanon Yellowjackets.  In a match best described as a "hangover game," the Hornets turned in a listless performance.  They did take an early lead with a Sam Mayne goal in the 3rd minute.  Coming up from his position in central defense, Mayne was able to latch onto a corner from Chad Davis and drive home his shot from close range.  Fulton doubled their lead with 10 minutes left in the half when Darren Jones played a ball down the left flank to McClure.  McClure drove to goal and was just able to poke the ball past the onrushing keeper.  Despite the lead, the Hornets showed little quality.  Poor passing and poor effort across the field made the first half a tough one on the eyes.

Fulton showed a little better in the second half.  Despite tired legs, the Hornets increased their collective work rate and passed the ball slightly better than in the first.  As in the first half, they continued to pepper the Lebanon goal, but the expected onslaught failed to materialize.  Finally, in the 64th minute, Fulton scored again, when Jones centered a ball from the left and Thomas tapped in from close range.  Fulton closed out the scoring in the 69th minute with arguably the prettiest goal of the tournament.  Morgan Milligan played a free kick to Jones.  Jones took the space given to him by Lebanon pn the left and then dropped the ball back to the advancing Milligan.  Milligan struck a first time shot from 35 yards out that went left upper 90 past the outstretched arms of the keeper.

With the tournament championship, Fulton claimed its first tournament title since the 2005 Lebanon tournament.  Fulton returns to action on Tuesday when they travel to play their "home match" against Boonville in Boonville.

Fulton Opens Camdenton Tournament with Win

The Fulton Hornets avenged their earlier loss to the West Plain Zizzers by defeating them 2-0 to open the Camdenton tournament tonight.  Goals by Peter Plakorus and Jake Pierce were enough to secure the win.

The first half was all Fulton as the Zizzers struggled to get a hold of the ball.  Superb passing and energetic running kept Fulton on the front foot for most of the half.  The payoff came late in the half off a set play.  Pierce rose to meet the cross and headed on goal, which Plakorus then redirected past the keeper.  The second half saw slightly less of an advantage for Fulton, but the Hornets were able to double their lead just 4 minutes into the half.  Pierce was able to cut across the box in front of the Zizzer defense and drive a low shot past the keeper.  The Zizzers had an excellent chance midway through the half to cut into the Fulton lead, but sent their point blank shot over the crossbar.

Fulton plays a senior-laden Camdenton squad tomorrow morning at 11:00.

Fulton Tops Mexico, 1-0

A much improved Mexico team gave the Hornets a stiff challenge on Thursday night at Westminster College, but Jake Pierce's goal late in the 2nd half was enough to give Fulton the deserved victory.

The Hornets came out with a slightly new look, playing in a 4-4-2 formation.  With the extra midfielder Fulton enjoyed solid control of the midfield.  Quick passing combinations between the midfield and the back line allowed the Hornets to dominate possession, but the Hornets had difficulty translating that possession into shots on goal in the first half.  In fact, the Bulldogs had a slight advantage in shots going into the break, with only a few long distance efforts from Fulton.

The second half was a different story.  The forward line seemed to finally find its path to goal as the Hornets sprang both Nick Seelinger and Peter Plakorus for solo runs behind the defense.  Unfortunately, both hard-driven shots went high.  Meanwhile the Fulton defense continued to snuff out the Mexico attacks and keep them largely pinned deep in their own half.

Despite the clear advantage enjoyed by the Hornets, the game appeared to be headed to overtime when Fulton scored on a controversial play with 8 minutes to go.  The play began when Nick Heimericks sent a freekick deep into the Mexico penalty box.  The Mexico keeper appeared to have it but the ball came loose and Pierce was able to knock the ball over the line.  The Mexico team appeared to have a strong case for a foul, but the center ref -- after a quick consultation with his assistant -- ruled that the ball had been bobbled and upheld the goal.  Mexico's efforts to tie the game proved futile and the Hornets were able to celebrate a well-deserved -- and long overdue -- victory.

Much credit for the victory goes to the defensive line.  Morgan Milligan and Nick Heimericks played superbly in the center, especially in the second half, breaking up numerous attacks and doing well to distribute the ball to launch attack after attack.  Scott Strough, Steven Maddox, and Darren Jones also did well in patrolling the flanks and limiting the dangers to keeper Dan McClure, who was credited with his fifth shutout of the season.

The Hornets have little time to rest as they travel to the Camdenton tournament tomorrow to take on the West Plains Zizzers in their opening game at 8:00 on Friday evening.  On Saturday, the Hornets will play the host Camdenton Lakers (11:00) and the Lebanon Yellowjackets (3:00).

Fulton Drops Tough Loss to Moberly

The only thing to say is "good grief."

Fulton lost yet another heart breaker on Tuesday to the Moberly Spartans by a score of 2-0.  Despite excellent midfield play and solid defense, the Hornets' offense squandered several excellent chances to score.

Moberly went on top late in the first half when a quick counter attack found an open player on the left side of the defense.  A few quick touches to take the ball into the box and a simple finish to the far post and, voila, Fulton found itself down 1-0.  Fulton had a golden chance to level the match moments later when Jake Pierce's scoop pass found Morgan Milligan behind the Moberly defense, but he sent his shot wide of the left post.

In the second half, Fulton again had the better of play early, but Moberly was able to keep Fulton's attack at bay.  Zach Thomas and Peter Plakorus combined in the box for a weak effort by Plakorus that went just wide of the post.  A strong run from Pierce on the left hand side produced yet another chance for Fulton to tie the match, but to no avail.  On the opposite end a well worked Moberly free kick led to an even better save by Dan McClure to keep Fulton in the match.

Unfortunately, Fulton did give up that second goal on a fine shot from distance deep in the second half.  With that goal, the match was effectively over.  Despite overall good play, the Hornets failed to generate enough dangerous chances in the attacking third and Fulton was left to ponder what might have been.

Fulton will host Mexico on Thursday evening at 6:00 at Westminster.  This will be a varsity only match.

Camdenton Tournament Schedule

Here is the schedule for the Camdenton Tournament:

Friday, October 1

4:00pm Osage vs Lebanon
6:00pm Camdenton vs Hannibal 

8:00pm West Plains vs Fulton

Saturday, October 2

9:00am Lebanon vs Hannibal 

11:00am Camdenton vs Fulton
1:00pm Osage vs West Plains
3:00pm Fulton vs Lebanon
5:00pm West Plains vs Hannibal
7:00pm Camdenton vs Osage

Games will be played at Camdenton High School.

Team Picture

That's a good-looking soccer team.

Photo courtesy of T. Brown Photography

Fulton JV Remains Undefeated

The Fulton Junior Varsity continued their winning ways as they defeated the Hannibal Pirates 1-0 on Tuesday evening in Columbia.  The game winner came in the first half when freshman forward Trevor Neal drove into the center of the Hannibal defense.  As the keeper challenged, Neal was able to get a shot off.  The ball rolled agonizingly slowly toward goal until Chancellor Ameyaw opportunistically pounced on it and slammed it over the line.  On the opposite end, the Hornets --despite a few hairy moments in the 2nd half -- were able to thwart the attacks of the Pirates.

The Hornets JV boast a 4-0-1 record and will return to action on Thursday when Fulton hosts Mexico.  (There will not be a JV game against Moberly on Tuesday.)

Hornets Lose in PK's to Hannibal

The Hornets dropped a tough one to the Hannibal Pirates on Thursday evening.  Tied 1-1 after two overtimes, the Pirates prevailed in penalty kicks, 3-1.

Playing in Columbia due to wet field conditions in Fulton, the match was a tough one between two evenly matched teams.  Fulton had the better of play in midfield, while Hannibal's forward line created more dangerous chances.  Despite some early chances created on the Hornets' right flank, it was Hannibal who struck first.  A driven shot from the top of the box beat a diving Dan McClure to give the Pirates a 1-0 lead.  Minutes later, Fulton had a golden chance to level the score, but the keeper was able to smother the low shot from Jake Pierce.

In the second half, Fulton was finally rewarded for its work in midfield.  Taking a throw-in from the left side, Pierce dribbled through the Hannibal defense and cracked a shot from 30 yards out.  The swerving shot fooled the keeper and went into upper right side of the net.  As the game wore on, both teams were increasingly content to play a more direct style and get the ball quickly to their forwards in search of the game winner.  Tired legs soon led to tired minds.  Both teams resorted to shots from distance, but these were easily dealt with by the defenses.

The same pattern continued into the two 10-minute overtime periods.  With the final whistle came the dreaded penalty kicks.  Unfortunately for the Hornets, it was a round of shooting that they would rather forget.  While the Pirates made all three of their shots, only one of the Hornets' shooters was able to score.  A missed shot and two clanking shots off the goal frame doomed the Hornets' chances and led to the Hannibal victory.

Fulton returns to action on Tuesday when they travel to Moberly.

Hornets Win in Kirksville in Shortened Game

It was a dark and stormy night in Kirksville. Fortunately for the Hornets, they were already headed back to Fulton with a 1-0 victory in hand.

In a game called in the 48th minute due to lightning, the Hornets finally put together a game that matched their play on the field to the scoreboard. In the first half, the Hornets had the better of play and were able to create numerous chances against a defense that made liberal use of an offside trap. Junior Darren Jones demonstrated early that he was a threat to score. Jones struck a stinging volley from 13 yards out but the keeper was able to parry it away. While he was not alone in testing the keeper, his contributions eventually paid dividends. In the 25th minute, Morgan Milligan picked up a loose ball deep in the Fulton half. Carrying the ball into the midfield, he was able to find Jones with a centering ball that Jones brought down to split the defenders. He dribbled with pace into the box and was able to calmly pass the ball into the right-hand side of the goal past the keeper. Moments latter a similar chance to double the lead went awry when the keeper anticipated Jones' side-footed shot to snuff out the danger.

On the opposite end, the defense proved up to the task of containing the Kirksville offense. Defenders Morgan Milligan, Steven Maddox, Sam Mayne, Scott Strough, and Nick Heimericks did a good job of limiting the dangers to Dan Mcclure's goal. It should also be said that the outside midfielders also did a good job of coming back to help out with the assymetrical offense employed by the Tigers that flooded one side of the field with multiple players.

In the second half, Kirksville came out gunning with their best chance coming off a volley from the top of the box that barely went wide of the post. Unfortunately for Kirksville, this rally was abruptly ended with the first flash of the lightning. With the radar showing dangerous storms approaching, the decision was made to call the game. As the game was in the second half, per MSHSAA rules, it counts as a full game.

Sadly for the junior varsity players, their game was not played. They did, however, get their first taste of Pagliai's Pizza, home of the mighty tasty Ronza.

Fulton (5-4) will host Hannibal on Thursday at Westminster College. The varsity match will start at 6:00, with junior varsity to follow.

Hornets Drop Two at Parkview Tournament

The Fulton Hornets traveled to the Parkview Viking Showdown this weekend and came away with a 1-2 record. Unfortunately for the Hornets, the trend continued of outplaying their opponents on the field but not on the scoreboard. Defensive miscues and squandered chances remain the storyline of late.

In the first match on Friday evening, the Hornets took on the Zizzers of West Plains. In the first half, senior Dan McClure created havoc on the left for the Zizzer defense as only the Zizzer keeper was able to stop him. Crisp passing and good movement off the ball allowed the Hornets to dictate the pace. Ironically, the best chance for the Zizzers came off a mistake from Fulton's efforts to play the ball around. A muffed pass from junior keeper Nick Heimericks, in goal for McClure, produced a point-blank opportunity for the Zizzers. Heimericks, though, was able to dive and, at full stretch, turn the shot around the post for the corner.

In the second half, the Hornets again had the better of play, but the Zizzers made the most of the opportunities given to them. The Hornets' defense failed to deal with a loose ball and when it was played to the top of the box, a West Plains forward was able to strike it just inside the post. Fortune smiled on the Zizzers again when a free kick from midfield sailed just under the crossbar to make the score 2-0. Despite having the better of possession and numerous chances of their own, Fulton was unable to put one past the Zizzers' 6'7" keeper.

In their second match, the Hornets played the Parkview JV, who were pressed into action in the tournament at the last minute due to another team dropping out. The Hornets took out their goal scoring frustrations on their hapless opponents, scoring 10 goals to end the match midway through the 2nd half. In the first half, Jake Pierce, Nick Seelinger, Peter Plakorus, and Jakob Hull accounted for the Hornets' scoring. Pierce opened the scoring in the 2nd minute off an assist from Seelinger. Moments later Hull drilled a shot into the upper 90. Seelinger scored in the 10th minute off an assist from Pierce. Pierce then added a second to his tally with a volley from the top of the box in the 12th minute to make the score 4-0. A second burst of scoring from Seelinger (29th minute) and Plakorus (30th and 32nd minute) staked the Hornets to 7-0 halftime lead. In the second half, Sam Mayne scored from a tight angle in the 46th minute, Trevor Neal stuck in a corner on a sliding effort in the 54th minute, and Zach Thomas ended the match four minutes later with goal number 10 for the Hornets.

In their final match, the Hornets played a very athletic side in Kearney, losing 4-1. Again, squandered chances and defensive mistakes doomed the Hornets' otherwise solid play. The Hornets had two good chances in the opening minutes, but regretfully failed to convert. Fulton paid for their generosity moments later when Kearney struck for the opening goal in the 5th minute when the defense failed to close down on a threatening run. There was little McClure - back in goal - could do to stop the accurate shot. The Hornets' misfortune continued when Kearney doubled the lead on a set play off the corner. The Hornets were able to get a goal back in the 24th minute. Darren Jones played a nice ball into space on the left side to Zach Thomas. Thomas beat his defender and struck a hard shot that went through the keeper's hands. Plakorus, coming in from the right, was able to acrobatically steer the ball back into the goal. Unfortunately, Kearney responded with a goal of their own, credited as much to the field conditions as to the Kearney player. An otherwise routine save took a bad bounce and went over the outstretched arms of the sliding McClure to give Kearney the 3-1 lead going into halftime.

In the second half, the Hornets came out playing inspired soccer, whipping the ball around the field with solid passing and winning virtually every 50/50 ball. So dominant were the Hornets that one could have easily assumed that the 3-1 score line favored Fulton. Unfortunately, the Hornets couldn't find the back of the net despite several close chances from Pierce and Morgan Milligan. The only blemish in the half for the Hornets was a morale-killing goal due to a miscommunication in the Hornets defense that allowed a Kearney player to intercept a pass and essentially walk in on the Hornet goal. Otherwise, the Hornets completely played Kearney off the field in the 2nd half. But soccer can be a cruel game and the only points that matter are the ones on the scoreboard.

Despite the disappointing results, the Hornets can come away from the tournament with several positives. First, they out-possessed every team they played and created dangerous chances to score. Second, they were able to get two players back into action after injuries. Junior forward Nick Seelinger, injured for most of the year with a torn ACL, and Peter Plakorus, out for a couple of weeks, returned to action and breathed life into the Hornet attack. Thirdly, the Hornets were able to get two newcomers some first team action. Junior forward Cruz Comez and freshman Daniel Lair got some valuable experience in the tournament. While the Hornets still have work to do on the training grounds, the signs point to promising result as Fulton enters into the bulk of their conference play over the month.

With the tournament, Fulton stands at 4-4 as they travel to Kirksville on Tuesday.

Hornets Lose Tough One to SoBoCo

The Fulton Hornets lost a frustrating match to the SoBoCo Eagles on a rain-soaked field in Ashland on Wednesday night. Despite their enjoying the majority of possession and creating numerous chances to score, it was the Eagles who came away with the victory with a goal against the run of play.

Despite the loss, it was a better performance for the Hornets as they seem to have recovered their soccer skills (and brains) after a dismal outing Tuesday night in Jefferson City. The Hornets managed the narrow field (played in the confines of the SoBoCo football stadium) relatively well as they were able to comfortably pass the ball around the field. Unfortunately for the Hornets, they let their guard down shortly before the end of the 1st half. In the 31st minute, the Eagles took a throw-in deep in Fulton territory. A seemingly-unconcerned Fulton defense applied little pressure and the Eagles were able to play the ball into the melee in front of the Fulton goal. The lightly marked E.C. Duckworth used his height to full advantage and headed the ball across the line.

In the second half the Fulton Hornets pressed for the equalizer, bringing Morgan Milligan from his defensive position up to forward. Despite the added scoring threat, the Hornets were unable to secure the tying goal. With the loss, the Hornets drop to 3-2.

In the Junior Varsity game, the Hornets again found themselves trailing, despite dominating possession for much of the match. When the Hornets failed to clear the ball in the second half, the Eagles found an unmarked player in the box who calmly volleyed the shot past freshman keeper Daniel Lair. However, the Hornets continued to press forward and in the dying seconds of the match junior forward Cruz Gomez proved the hero when he leveled the match from close range. The junior varsity remain undefeated with a record of 3-0-1.

The varsity team has the opportunity to return to their winning ways this Friday when they take on hosts Parkview in the Parkview Viking Invitational in Springfield. The Hornets will play two additional games on Saturday as part of the tourney.

Hornets Fall to Jefferson City Jays, 1-0

It was an anemic offensive display from the Fulton Hornets as they traveled to Jefferson City to take on the Jays. The score of 1-0 was flattering to the Hornets as the Jays dictated the action throughout the match. The Hornets struggled to maintain possession as pass after pass went awry. The result was a match played mostly in Fulton's defensive end as the Jays created numerous scoring chances.

The one bright spot for the Hornets was the play of the defense as they heroically kept the Jays off the board in the first half. In the opening minutes, defender Nick Heimericks' sliding clearance denied the Jays the early lead when he hooked away a slow roller bound for the net. The rest of the half was fairly dismal for the Hornets as the offense proved unable to surmount the Jays' defense and mount anything but a token challenge on the Jay's goal. Junior Darren Jones' half chance from the edge of the box was the only Fulton shot of the half.

In the second half the constant pressure from the Jays and continued sloppy play from the Hornets proved too much as the Jays struck for the only goal of the match. Jefferson City freshman forward Aaron Crane found himself in acres of space on the right-hand side and he made no mistake on the finish as he approached goal. His right-footed shot struck the inside of the far post and across the goal line to give the Jays a deserved 1-0 lead.

The Hornets responded by making some adjustments in the midfield to generate greater possession, but it was to no avail as the possession in the final third proved to be too elusive. While the effort from the Hornets was laudable, it was ultimately for naught as the class 3A Jays proved the superior team Tuesday night.

Fulton takes a 3-1 record to Ashland on Wednesday evening to take on the SoBoCo Eagles.

Fulton Takes Winning Streak on the Road

Fulton Midfielder Darren Jones came up big on Tuesday with the game winner against Boonville.

The Fulton Hornets went on the road for the first time this season on Tuesday and brought home two well-earned victories against the Boonville Pirates. The JV cruised to a 7-0 victory to remain undefeated, while the varsity squad fought off a tough first-half challenge from the Boonville Pirates to earn a 4-1 win to also keep a perfect record.

It was a tale of two halves for the varsity match. Despite Fulton having the majority of possession for the opening minutes of the game, it was the Pirates who struck first. A well-organized and motivated Boonville squad caught the Hornets napping and struck early for a 1-0 lead in the 8th minute. A looping shot from outside the box caught keeper Dan McClure just slightly off his line and squeezed under the crossbar. Their confidence shaken, the Fulton players struggled to maintain both their composure and possession of the ball. Fulton was fortunate not to go down by 2 goals when Boonville struck a shot off the crossbar midway through the half.

As it became clear that Boonville was not simply going to hand over a victory, the Fulton players slowly responded to the challenge. As the quality of the Fulton squad began to show, the Hornets began to mount more serious challenges on the Boonville goal. The speculative efforts from distance gave way to more dangerous opportunities in the box. In the 30th minute the effort paid off. A Boonville foul on the right side of the box resulted in a Fulton freekick. Midfielder Jake Pierce floated a cross into the six-yard box. The keeper fanned it and the ball bounced to Fulton defender Nick Heimericks, who from an acute angle was able to head the ball across the line to level the score at 1-1.

A more confident Fulton team emerged for the second half and played energetic soccer to take control of the match. With the defense and midfield clamping off supply to the Pirate attackers, the game was played on the Hornets' terms. The breakthrough came in the 51st minute when Sam Mayne -- pressed into service as a forward -- used his ball winning skills to head a 50-50 ball into space on the left side. Junior Darren Jones took the opportunity as he dashed onto the ball and chipped past the onrushing keeper. The celebration had scarcely ended when the Hornets scored again in the 54th minute. Forward Zach Thomas cleverly laid off a cross from Jakob Hull to feed Pierce who hammered the ball past the keeper from 11 yards out. Pierce added to his tally a minute later with a leaping header that redirected a free kick from Heimericks into goal. The keeper made an effort to clear the danger but got caught in no-man's land with the service perfectly placed between the Boonville backline and the goal.

As expected, the explosion of goals (three in four minutes) put a damper on the spirits of the hosts, but there was still work to be done to finish out the game. Fulton keeper McClure was called upon to make a key save with 10 minutes remaining to preserve the three goal cushion. While the goal scorers and assistmen receive their just accolades, much credit for the victory goes to the excellent play from sophomores Brian McCarty and Ben Kucera, who along with freshman Trevor Neal, harrassed their Boonville opponents throughout the game with their tireless work-rate and solid passing.

In the junior varsity match, the Hornets quickly put their stamp on the match. Several near misses by the Fulton attack gave an early indication of what was to come. In the 5th minute freshman Aaron Arms put forward Chancellor Ameyaw in on goal. Ameyaw dribbled and fired from close range to give the Hornets the 1-0 lead. Their appetites whetted, the Fulton players created chance after chance on goal.

It was senior keeper Dan McClure -- playing on the field for the first time this season -- who took greatest advantage of the opportunities. Using his lethal left foot, McClure scored the hat-trick with a goal in the 9th minute and two goals in the second half. The first came off a nice through ball from freshman midfielder Jonathan Perry that McClure rifled into the lower right corner of the goal from 16 yards out. In the second half McClure added two more in the span of 30 seconds. The first came in the 30th minute when Ameyaw found McClure making a slashing run into the box. A quick touch to settle left McClure with an easy pass into goal. No sooner had play resumed then McClure again found himself alone with the keeper. From the left touchline Hull found a seam in the Boonville defense. The pass split three Boonville defenders and McClure made no mistake on the finish as he shot low and hard to the left-hand side.

The Hornets' offense also received contributions from:

- Jones, who curled a left-footed freekick around the wall in the 11th minute to beat the keeper;

- Steven Maddox, whose shot in the 24th minutes produced a soft goal. The shot had pace, but was straight at the keeper. Unfortunately for him, a hand was not enough to stop the shot as it rolled agonizingly over the goal line; and,

- Thomas, who rounded off the scoring, thanks to a stellar pass from Kucera, which allowed Thomas to walk in for the easy finish to the right-hand corner.

Although rarely tested throughout the match, the Fulton defenders earned their third shut-out. The junior varsity now have an impressive plus 21 goal differential.

The Fulton squads resume action on Thursday night when they host conference foe Marshall @ 5:30.

Hornets Coast to Victory Against Montgomery County

The JV game in a microcosm: the Fulton Hornets soared above the Montgomery County Wildcats on Monday night. Jonathan Perry, Brian McCarty, and Trevor Neal prepare for the arrival of the Hornet's corner kick.

In the varsity match "Coach" Seelinger surveys the action as Coach Milligan relaxes. Midfielder Jakob Hull is in the foreground.

It was an embarrassment of riches Monday evening as both Fulton squads posted impressive victories against Montgomery County. The JV squad won by a gaudy 13-0 in the first match and the varsity put up 10 before the mercy rule ended the game.

In the varsity match Montgomery County played bravely and were unlucky not to put up two goals of their own with a shot that struck the crossbar (and that by the slimmest of margins stayed out of the goal) as well as a narrowly-missed breakaway. Nevertheless, it was the Fulton boys that dictated the action on the field.

Defender Nick Heimericks came forward on several deadball situations, which twice paid dividends in the first half. In the 12th minute, Jake Pierce unleashed a hard freekick which the keeper spilled. Heimericks pounced on the loose ball and left-footed the ball into the roof of the net. Heimericks also scored the last goal of the half, heading in a freekick from Chad Davis in the 34th minute. The curving inswinger found Heimericks on the back post and he made no mistake about the finish.

Between the two Heimericks' goals, several other Fulton players joined in the action. In the 17th minute, Pierce played a through ball to break the Montgomery County offside trap. The pass put Davis alone on goal and he curled his shot away from the keeper with his left foot to make the score 2-0.

Six minutes later freshman forward Trevor Neal took a pass down the left wing and after cutting the ball back, found Pierce just inside the box. With a quick turn, his measured shot curled into the side netting on the right to put the Hornets up by 3 goals. Pierce added to his tally moments later when a cross from Zach Thomas was cleverly left by Peter Plakorus to a wide open Pierce, who volleyed from 12 yards out to make the score 4-0.

Fulton scored again from the right side as sophomore midfielder Ben Kucera got into the scoring. A defensive miscue from the Montgomery County keeper saw Kucera's powerful shot from outside the box deflect in for his first varsity goal.

Coming out of the halftime break with a 6-0 lead, the Hornets went right back to work. In the 48th minute, sophomore Jakob Hull carried the ball from a deep lying midfield position to the top of the penalty area. An attempted block by a Montgomery County defender had the opposite result as the deflected shot left the keeper stranded as the ball looped into the opposite side of the goal.

Two more goals in quick succession put the Hornets up 9-0. Fifteen seconds after Hull's goal, Plakorus again played provider with a quick lateral pass to Zach Thomas who finished easily from inside the box. Plakorus himself scored scarcely more than a minute later off the corner from Darren Jones.

With the outcome certain, the Hornets methodically worked the ball around the field for a good fifteen minutes before ending the game on a solid goal from Thomas again. Thomas took a pass from Neal, turned, and fired into the left corner to end the game on the mercy rule in the 65th minute.

In the Junior Varsity game, the Hornets scored early and often with 10 players getting into the scoring column. Jakob Hull opened the onslaught in the 3rd minute and Zach Thomas added two goals in 2 minutes (the second on a nice assist from freshman Aaron Arms) to make the score 3-0 halfway through the first period. Darren Jones then put back a rebound off a shot from Peter Plakorus to make in 4-0 before Sam Mayne closed out the scoring in the first half with two goals from close range.

In the second half, it was more of the same. With the Hornets dominating possession, the game was played in Montgomery County's half. Sophomore defender Scott Strough moved up into the midfield and quickly took advantage of the more attacking role by sending in a curling shot from the edge of the box that beat the keeper. Plakorus then added a long-range goal from distance that dropped over the keeper to make the score 8-0. Sophomore defender Cody Pae then added two more within two minutes to make the score 10-0. Brian McCarty, Steven Maddox, and Jonathan Perry rounded off the scoring.

The Hornets return to action next Tuesday when they go on the road to play the Boonville Pirates.