The lady Pioneers soccer team (14-3-0) will face off against the rival Webster Groves Statesmen (18-2-1) at 6 p.m. at Lyons Stadium tonight. The Statesmen are currently ranked #5 in the STLhighschoolsports.com Missouri large schools rankings while the Pioneers are #8. Both teams met previously on April 19 with the Statesmen tieing the game with nearly two minutes left in regulation and eventually winning in penalty kicks. The final score was 3-2.
The annual Kick for Cancer game seeks to raise funds for both “Friends of Kids with Cancer” and for the family of KHS Freshman soccer player Karley Branch. Kids can take a penalty kick at halftime against a Pioneer goalie for $1. Raffle tickets will also be sold for $5 or three for $10, and larger prizes will be available for a $20 raffle ticket. These prizes will include four field box Cardinals tickets, a photography session, a football autographed by Mike McNeil and the 2012 KHS Championship team.
Players to watch for:
#7 Maggie Schneider, senior, forward, Kirkwood Pioneers
Schneider leads the Pioneers in goals (16) and points (40). Those stats also place second in the Suburban South Conference. Look for Schneider to lead the Pioneers’ offensive attack.
#3 Maddie Pokorny, sophomore, midfield, Webster Groves Statesmen
While Pokorny has both more goals (20) and points (43) than Schneider, she trails the Pioneer striker on assists. Schneider has 8 while Pokorny has 3. However, Pokorny’s scoring stats give her the most goals and points in the Suburban South Conference. She also has 11 game winning goals which place her first in the conference in that category as well.
#13 Abby Christensen, freshman, forward, Kirkwood Pioneers
While the Statesmen have the young threat of sophomore Maddie Pokorny, the Pioneers have a talented underclassmen of their own. Abby Christensen, freshman, is second for the Pioneers in goals (9), assists (9) and points (18). She also has 3 game-winning goals in her first high school soccer season.
#13 Morgan Unger, senior, midfield, Webster Groves Statesmen
Unger is an assist machine. She has recorded 18 assists on the year, which leads both the Statesmen squad and all of the Suburban South Conference. In fact, she has at least 8 more assists than any other player in the conference. Unger has also scored 6 goals which gives her 30 points. Look for her unselfish play to be utilized in this matchup.
The Goalies:
#0 Taylor Macker, senior, goalie, Kirkwood Pioneers
Macker has 7 solo shutouts this season to go along with a 0.64 goals against average. She has 76 saves to give her a .824 save percentage.
#18 Charlotte Kennedy, sophomore, goalie, Webster Groves Statesmen
Kennedy has been the only goalie for the Statesmen this season, playing in every minute of every game. As a result, she has 12 solo shutouts and a 0.60 goals against average. She also has 112 saves for a .881 save percentage. Kennedy is first in the conference in shutouts.
