By Quint Turner

In a game dictated by possession ball, the Mavericks scored early on and played great defense to the end. Solid performances by Jasmine Parsley, Alexa Thompson and Kaitlin Higgins helped goalkeeper Brianna Eney record a shutout against a fierce Shorewood Thunderbirds team. The game took a frightening turn, however, when T-Birds senior midfielder Sofia Vargas went down in the first half and had to be carried off in an ambulance. More on that later.

Meadowdale scored the only goal of the game when Hannah Shrouse connected from 25 yards out, putting the ball in the top right corner to make it 1-0. The ball rarely went over the midline throughout the game, as generally it took two to three minutes to get a clear for either side, and then the other team attacked.

Meadowdale controlled the game for a while, taking a shot and two through balls that just missed connecting. But the Mavs didn’t get any more good chances. In the first half Shorewood fought back, including a great setup from Jennifer Thompson on a through ball to herself. She single-handedly nearly scored but goalkeeper Eney snatched the ball back.

In the 33rd minute, a battle between Vargas and Meadowdale defenders ended with Vargas landing awkwardly, and she left the field via stretcher. At time of publication, there is no word on the severity of her injury. No foul was called on the play.

The second half had Meadowdale — or more specifically, Roslyn Stapleton — dominate. Stapleton had four shots in the half alone, starting with a shot off a cross from Emily Crichlow (who had a great game in her own right) that went high. Soon after, Stapleton booted a 30-yard shot that sailed over the crossbar.

Meadowdale would keep the pressure on. Alisa Sagdahl took the ball into the box on the wrong side of her dominant foot, and her shot went wide. Then Stapleton had a near-miss that also barely went wide.

Shorewood came back. Zoe Vincini dribbled the ball down into the corner and kicked a cross that was bobbled by Eney, but Parsely cleared the ball on a fine play.

The Mavs’ Sagdahl blasted a cross that bounced off a defender’s arm, leading to a penalty kick. Sagdahl struck the penalty kick but it was wonderfully saved by Danielle Norsby. Sagdahl had another chance in the box, but the shot was kicked out by Norsby. The T-Birds had their best, and last chance, chance when a simple shot from Siena Helland was bobbled by Eney, and the ball almost spun into the net, but Eney recovered and the Mavs hung on.

The Mavericks go to 2-1 on the year, and they play Glacier Peak in an away game Thursday. The match starts at 7:30 p.m.

Sports correspondent Quint Turner is a sophomore at Meadowdale High School.