Sports
Kirkwood Topples Summit in Tight Match
Kirkwood boys soccer entered its game against Summit with a 1-3 record but beat the Falcons, 2-1.
The soccer contest at Thursday night didn't look like one involving a 1-3 team versus a 3-1 team, especially at the final whistle, as the Pioneers notched their second win of the season over highly-ranked Summit, 2-1.
"Kirkwood's getting several key players back this week and they're obviously not your typical 1-3 team, so they're eager to get their season on track and I reminded our guys of that ahead of the game but the result wasn't there tonight," said Summit coach Chris Kappler.
Kirkwood's losses on the 2011 campaign have come against tough squads from Lafayette, Parkway South and Mehlville. Those teams don't let their opponents make many mistakes and demand a full 80 minutes of competition.
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On Thursday, Kirkwood played its first complete game of the season, rallying late to get back in front of a Summit group who put together a more organized overall performance, but exposed themselves to a quick Pioneer counterattack.
Sophomore Jack Poupard, who moved into a center back roll for the Pioneers, galvanized the defense early on, setting the stage for the Pioneers first tally with an aggressive stop against the Falcons' attack, which led to an outlet pass to senior forward Eli Holmes, who slipped the ball past junior Summit keeper, Jake Leeker, to put the home squad on the board.
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"Winning is all about hard work and determination," said Poupard, "and I knew I had to step up to make those early stops and help us keep control."
Summit threatened several times after the first Pioneer goal, including a shot off the woodwork in the 39th minute, but Kirkwood managed not to pay for several errant clearances up the middle and took a 1-0 lead into halftime.
Summit equalized in the 60th minute on a midfield strike from junior Matthew Robinson, and then knocked another shot off the post with 14 minutes to play, but on the ensuing counterattack Pioneer sophomore forward Eric McWoods buried a low shot to regain the lead. The goal stood despite some controversy over the play being offsides.
Summit will attempt to stop their losing streak with a game at home against Parkway West on Tuesday, while the Pioneers look to continue their resurgence at the Francis Howell tournament this weekend.