By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights soccer didn't have a great first half in Tuesday's non-league game at Hayden, but the one first-half goal the T-Birds did score set the tone for a 4-0 shutout over the Wildcats.
With Heights going into a brisk wind in the first half, senior Zachary Memmer scored the only goal the T-Birds would need just 5:06 into the game before 8-4-1 Shawnee Heights scored three times in the second half to pull away.
Hayden senior Daxton Ham (left) battles Shawnee Heights junior Jack Martin for the ball in Tuesday's 4-0 T-Bird win over the Wildcats. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Shawnee Heights senior Zachary Memmer (35) puts the ball in the net early in the T-Birds' 4-0 win at Hayden Thursday. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"We kind of knew going in that maybe if we took the wind in the second half playing with tired legs, the second half would maybe unlock some things, and I think it did,'' Heights coach Nic Simons said.
"Going against the wind in the first half we looked like a team that played a little tight and I think we were very afraid of giving up counter-attacks and give Hayden a lot of credit, they had some very dangerous counters in the first half. But we did a pretty good job of kind of weathering that and I thought defensively it was another outstanding performance by our defense and by our keeper.''
Senior Tyler Lincoln put Heights in front 2-0 with 31:36 remaining in the game and senior Jordan Garvin and junior Jack Martin added goals to give the T-Birds their final margin with 20:05 left.
Garvin was credited with a pair of assists for the T-Birds while Memmer also picked up an assist.
Sophomore Carter Freeman picked up the shutout in goal for Shawnee Heights.
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS 4, HAYDEN 0
Shawnee Heights (8-4-1) 1 3 -- 4
Hayden (6-8-1) 0 0 -- 0
Shawnee Heights -- Goals: Memmer, Lincoln, Garvin, Martin. Assists: Garvin 2, Memmer. Shutout: Freeman.