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.