The Pleasant Hill Chicks personified two words this past Saturday in the state quarterfinal vs. Maryville. Those words are grit and patience! The Chicks have competed through challenges seemingly at every turn this season. Saturday was no exception. The Maryville Spoofhounds gave everything they had into defeating the Chicks, but it wasn't meant to be. 

The Spoofhounds were on the offensive most of the afternoon. They put the Chicks defense and keeper Campbell Gregory through a barrage of shots throughout the match. Gregory was stellar as she frustrated the Spoofhound forwards the entire game. The Chicks defended their end of the field as if they "wanted it"! They wanted to win this game and in the end, they accomplished their goal.

With 3:34 left in the match the Chick's patience offensively payed off. CheyAnn Johnson sent a ball to the right corner ahead of the Maryville defenders where Lydia Mannino was waiting. The Spoofhound keeper came out to defend and that proved to be a mistake. Mannino tapped the ball into the back of the net giving the Chicks the lead. The defense took over from there as Maryville attempted to find an equalizer goal to no avail.

The Chicks ran the gauntlet of opponents through the post season. They first defeated Center in the district quarterfinal. Then came a rematch of last year's state 3rd place game vs. Oak Grove in the semi-finals. The district championship opponent was a red hot Summit Christian Academy. The state quarterfinal took the Chicks to Maryville to take on the Spoofhounds on their home grass field. All this without two of their original starting forwards! Coach Nicole Ortiz did and excellent job with Ella Cline and Ame Scrogham splitting duties to fill in the gaps. The Chicks couldn't have done it with the senior leadership of CheyAnn Johnson & Sofia Abney. (It was Abney's game saving defense of a penalty kick late in the game vs. SCA that sent the Chicks to OT and an eventual victory.)

This Chicks will play the MICDS Rams in the MSHSAA state semi-final on Friday June 3rd at the Worldwide Technology Soccer Complex in Fenton, Mo. The semi-final match will be played at 5pm. Tickets are available at the MSHSAA.org website. Click on the blue ticket icon and select girls soccer. The Chicks will be playing the Class 2 Semi-final. Tickets are $8. The Championship game will be played Saturday at 4pm. The 3rd place game will be at 2:30pm on Saturday.