SPRINGFIELD — Same score against the same opponent is where the similarities end for Nixa against Kickapoo from Lady Eagles coach Evan Palmer’s viewpoint.
Nixa lost 2-1 at Kickapoo on Friday, just as the Lady Eagles did at home versus the Lady Chiefs last season.
But, Palmer felt his team gave the three-time defending District champs a much better contest this time around.
“Last year, we kind of just hung in there and got kind of a lucky goal at the end off an own goal,” Palmer said. “We weren't attacking then like we were tonight. We had good chances tonight. We just didn't finish what we had.
“We thought we would be able to break them down and we did a few times. But we didn't get the finishes,” he added. “If we would have finished those chances, it might have been a different game.”
Nixa jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a Bella Johnson goal with 10 minutes remaining in the first half. The Lady Eagles were still up at halftime.
But Kickapoo tied things up in the first five minutes of the second half and took the lead for good midway through the second half.
“They got back into the game early in the second half. When you're down, that's exactly what you want coming out of halftime,” Palmer said. “We kept giving them those long throws. Eventually, if you throw enough balls in the box, good things are going to happen. We have to do a better job not allowing that.” Palmer also felt his team’s ball-handling could have been better.
“We talk all the time about how you can't lose the ball on possession. A girl cannot steal it from you and go the other way. That happened too much tonight. We also had bad passes. We didn't play like we can play. Kickapoo is very stout and determined. You've got to credit them for being very good tonight.”
Johnson’s goal was her fourth on the season. She received an assist from her sister, Jade.
Brooke Teter is enjoying a good start to her sophomore season, having scored five goals already. But Kickapoo shut her out.
“Brooke is tough to dispossess and very physical,” Palmer said. “She knows how to use her body to her advantage and gets a lot of opportunities from that. She can also be very fast. When she can get around a corner and get to the goal, she's usually pretty good about finishing.”
Kickapoo ‘keeper Karli Facklan made nice saves in the second half on shots on goal by Shaelee Franck and Teter.
"She made two nice saves at the end,” Palmer said. “She came up big when she had to.”
With an eye on Districts, Palmer is looking forward to the possibility of meeting Kickapoo again this season.
“We're playing a lot of young players. We're very competitive, but we're learning,” he said. “Hopefully, in a month or so, when Districts come around, we'll be ready.”
"Because we're such a young team, we're fine-tuning some things,” Bella Johnson said. “We have a great team. We've got to push ourselves.”
