MONTAGUE — Despite it only being March, Montague appeared to be in midseason form Wednesday evening, dominating Grant and securing an 8-0 mercy rule victory, its second such win in two nights.
The performance featured three straight goals at one point by Ava Pelton, who also assisted two other goals. Perhaps most impressively, the Wildcats scored four times off of set plays, the mark of a team that's clicking.
"I just couldn't do it without my
teammates," Pelton said. "They always set me up for a perfect shot on goal. Bray(lyn Bultema) and
her corners today were really on point. It was easy to get
a head or foot on it. I'm just really proud of how we all played today."
The only thing Montague didn't execute to near perfection might have been finishing scoring opportunities, ironic given the 8-0 final score. The Wildcats missed a couple of penalty kicks and narrowly missed scoring several other goals. Still, the creation of so many scoring opportunities was impressive.
Montague (3-2) wasted little time getting rolling, as Pelton assisted Lilly Rice for a goal just over three minutes after kickoff. She then took over the offense herself, scoring a quick goal after the Montague midfielders forced a turnover, then adding two more goals off corner kicks. As Pelton noted, Bultema generally takes the Montague corner kicks and she delivered quality strikes on several occasions.
By Pelton's third goal, it was 4-0 with 15 minutes to go in the first half, and Abby Dyer added the team's fifth tally just a few moments later. As with Pelton's third goal, it was a strike that deflected off Grant defenders and found the back of the net.
Had the Wildcats pushed for it, they could have gotten the mercy rule earlier, but they moved players around a fair amount after taking a big lead, giving reserves some key minutes in prime positions.
Montague's Allyson Balder tries to get to the ball while being kept away from the Grant keeper during Wednesday's game against Montague. The Wildcats won, 8-0.
Coach Chris Aebig credited the Wildcat defense with sparking the offense, with freshman Callie Peterson a big part of that performance. Grant didn't have any shots on goal in the first half.
"Our
offense was set up by our good defense," Aebig said. "Bray dominated the middle of the field for us. Ava
controlled the final third for us. She was able to set up goals and score
goals of her own. I'm just super proud of all of their efforts."
After a 17-minute stretch without a goal after halftime, Montague ripped off three second-half goals in a 12-minute span in the second half to finish the contest. Allyson Balder and Addison Pranger - who moved up from goal to play some forward, giving Emily Earnest time in the net - got on the board in the half, as well as Rice putting in her second goal. That one came off a Pelton free kick.
Bultema said it was important to the team to play to its standard, just as it did the night before in an 11-0 blowout of Wyoming Lee, regardless of the opponent or the weather conditions. (Thankfully, the sun shone for much of Wednesday's game, but it was the second straight day for Montague playing in sub-40 degree temperatures.)
"You can't look over the other team," Bultema said. "You've got to play them like they're
the defending state champion. We're really trying to go far this year
because I feel like we deserve
it.
"I
think we're used to (poor weather). Last year, we played in hail at a tournament, and it was just terrible,
but I think we have to think of it as the other team is
playing in the same conditions as us. So we just need to overcome that
and really just work together as a team."
