Missed chances sink Wildcats

Missed chances. That was the story as Mount Si girls' soccer dropped a 1-0 game to the Liberty Patriots in a recent Kingco 3A soccer match that could cost the Wildcats a shot at the playoffs.

Despite outshooting Liberty 13 to 8 on goal, and outplaying the Patriots, the Wildcats couldn't overcome a single goal deficit last week on their home turf.

Christine Mollet scored the lone goal for Liberty just six minutes into the match. The breakaway goal was all that was needed as Mount Si had chance after chance, many of them at the foot of star junior forward Kristen Berndt, fall short. Goalkeepers Jacquie Burnett and Claire Hunter combined on a well-earned shutout for the Patriots.

"I thought we played a pretty good game," said a disappointed Mount Si coach Bruce Caldwell. "We just didn't get the ball in the net, that's all there is to it. Liberty is tough but we're just back into our own mode of not being able to get a goal."

The offensive problems are not new for the Wildcats.

"Well, it's kind of plagued us all season . . . just getting that ball in the net," said Caldwell.

Mount Si opened the game with a very aggressive style of play, and Berndt got the Wildcats' first scoring chance in the first minute. The Patriots then picked up the goal, and play settled into a solid physical battle.

The second half saw two great chances for Mount Si go for naught. The first, in the 55th minute, came off a corner kick from senior midfielder Jessica Hannah which missed off the crossbar by mere inches. The second, a Berndt penalty kick attempt in the 68th minute, went wide left with very little fanfare.

Despite the loss, with a game scheduled tonight against Sammamish there was one thing on which Caldwell could count.

"They play with a lot of heart, that's one thing about this team, they play tough all the time," said the coach.

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