The Rolla High School girls soccer team got a critical win Thursday, shutting out district rival Lebanon 4-0 at Kiwanis Field.

With a loss to Waynesville already on the books, the Lady Bulldogs couldn’t afford a defeat at the hands of the Yellowjackets if they wanted stay in contention for a first-round bye in the district tournament.

RHS is now 10-4 overall and 4-2 in the Ozark Conference. The Lady Bulldogs will travel to play the Joplin Eagles in another league game on Thursday.

“We were finally able to get some separation, making the most of some opportunities that we have been missing on earlier in the season,” RHS head coach Mike Howard said. “We moved some people around, and we will have to see, but I liked the look of things tonight. Joplin is a very tough place to play, so we need to come ready to play Thursday night. All in all things seem to be headed in the right direction.”

he game went scoreless deep into the first half, but Rolla did not let it become a repeat of last week’s Camdenton game. Junior Ashley Kerr got the Bulldogs on the scoreboard with a goal just four minutes before the intermission off a long throw-in from senior Kaitlin Bramel.

Sophomore Jaclyn Standfast added another goal eight minutes into the second half, scoring on a penalty kick.

The Bulldogs scored two insurance goals down the stretch. Junior Emily Spooner scored an unassisted goal with 22 minutes remaining on a direct free kick. Sophomore

Olivia Cox put one in the back of the net with six minutes left on an assist from freshman Ashlee Rightnowar.

Sophomore Adrian Pogue earned the shutout in goal. It was her seventh shutout of the season.

Rolla won the junior varsity contest by the same score, 4-0, to improve to 9-2.
Kaylyn Stoll scored two goals while Kara Mace and Sarah Threadgill each had one. Katie Park had two assists while Sara Lowe and Rightnowar had one apiece.