Lady Hounds record yet another shutout

CONNECTIONS

Natalie and Teagan (Snaadt) have played together for a long time. Teagan and Hadley have been playing together for a long time. I just think they have that connection from playing a lot.”

Carrie Burken, FMHS Head Coach girls' soccer

FORT MADISON - Fort Madison’s offense was so efficient in Monday’s 7-0 win over Mount Pleasant, the Bloodhounds were getting help from everywhere.
Hadley Wolfe had scored her second goal of the night and coach Carrie Burken yelled out to her, asking who passed her the ball.
“The other team,” Wolfe yelled back.
That, of course, can’t be considered an assist, but the Bloodhounds (9-2 overall, 7-2 Southeast Conference) did have an assist on every other goal in another crisp night of offense.
“I feel like we know how each person wants the ball,” said senior Natalie Randolph, who scored twice. “Some people are better at 1-2 (passes), some people are better at through balls. So I think we’re learning every single game, learning more and more what we really like, and I think that’s helping us.”
“I think it’s something we emphasize a lot,” Burken said. “We talk a lot about it all of the time, and it’s probably the No. 1 thing we practice. And they’ve been playing together for a long time. Natalie and Teagan (Snaadt) have played together for a long time. Teagan and Hadley have been playing together for a long time. I just think they have that connection from playing a lot.”
Wolfe and Snaadt each had two assists. Halle Menke and Bailey Vaughn each had one.
“We work on (passing) most of the time in practice,” Randolph said. “You’re not going to outrun every team, so getting those connecting passes are really important.”
The Bloodhounds and Panthers (6-5, 6-4) were playing for the second time in less than a week — Fort Madison won 5-2 in last Tuesday’s match at Mount Pleasant — but this one had a different tone.
Fort Madison had its match at Washington on Thursday postponed because of rain, and the Bloodhounds were ready to play.
“We don’t want any off-days,” Randolph said. “We constantly want to keep going.”
Wolfe and Snaadt delivered goals within a couple of minutes of each other early in the match, then Ellie Hellman scored her first varsity goal at the 26:09 mark to put Fort Madison up 3-0.
That was similar to what the Bloodhounds did in the earlier match, but this time they didn’t allow any goals.
“There were some adjustments,” Burken said. “Just being on a bigger field gave us more space for our offense. And not giving up a goal like we did the last time really boosted our confidence.”
“Their field was a lot smaller,” Randolph said. “So we’re playing a team on a smaller field, then playing on a bigger field. So we had more room to work today.”
Randolph opened the scoring in the second half with a goal off a Snaadt assist 4 ½ minutes in, then Wolfe scored just 24 seconds later when the Panthers lost control of the ball, allowing Wolfe to put in a long shot from the right side.
Reilynn Turnbull scored with 9:19 left to give Fort Madison a 6-0 lead, then Randolph closed the scoring with a goal with 3:34 to play.
Fort Madison had 17 shots on goal — Randolph had eight.
Fort Madison goalkeeper Taylor Johnson posted her eighth shutout of the season, finishing with nine saves.
The Bloodhounds close conference play with a match at Washington on Wednesday.