GREENFIELD — Jessica Merritt had stopped just about everything.
Free kicks, rebounds, breakaways, even a first-half penalty kick, the Greenfield-Central junior All-Hoosier Heritage Conference goalkeeper was getting save after save against Hancock County and HHC rival Mt. Vernon on Monday.
Instead of frustrating a talented Marauders team, which came in with 40 wins in their last 42 conference games, it just inspired them to keep coming.
Finally, at the 25:39 mark of the second half, the Mt. Vernon pressure drew a foul in the box.
Merritt was able to stop the first-half PK, but not the one off the foot of sophomore Kylie Brandes in the second.
It was the game-winner in the Marauders 2-1 victory over the Cougars at the G-C Soccer Complex.
“We definitely controlled the first and second half,” Brandes said. “We took so many shots, but their keeper was stopping them all. We had so many opportunities, but we couldn’t put it away. I think that motivated us to get going more. We knew we could do it.”
Merritt had 18 saves.
“Jessica Merritt stood on her head tonight,” Greenfield-Central coach Brandon Steeno said. “PK save, four to six point-blank saves in the box, rebound saves, she has really worked hard on improving in tight spaces. Tonight showed how that hard work paid off.”
Merritt said Brandes was a tough read. The right-footed attempt went to the left corner of the goal and out of her reach.
“I didn’t know how it was going to play out,” Brandes said of the goal. “I was in a very pressured position.”
Along with Merritt’s many stops was a first-half save on a PK from Mt. Vernon junior Mattie Isger, who scored five-minutes into the game – already her fifth of the season – to give the Marauders a 1-0 lead.
Greenfield-Central tied it, 1-1, on a long free kick by junior Courtney Vaughn with 28:30 left in the opening half.
Isger’s PK try came at the 22:44 mark of the first period.
“I just read the keys,” Merritt said of stopping Isger’s attempt. “She looked like her hips were turned more toward where she was going to kick it. It’s just a guessing game. It all comes down to that. I guessed because of how her hips were turned. Luckily she did and I just made sure I pushed off my dive.”
Through all of her great stops, the Marauders just kept on coming.
Mt. Vernon coach Aaron Britt was pleased with how his team was able to answer the play of the G-C goalkeeper.
“(Merritt) is great,” Britt said. “We thought we’d be able to create opportunities. We put a lot of girls in and put a lot of girls in dangerous positions. She made some great saves, which I was expecting.
“Every time we’ve played them she’s done that. The focus for us was not get frustrated and not get flustered, just keep doing what we do. That was most encouraging to me. If you get frustrated, a lot of times you don’t have the same quality play because everyone tries to force it.”
Greenfield-Central had less opportunities, but had a good chance to tie it late.
Mt. Vernon goalkeeper Khloe Patterson made the big save this time. Going to her left to stop a strong attempt from Greenfield-Central’s Chloe Gardner, with just over five minutes to play, helped seal the win.
Mt. Vernon improves to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in the HHC. Greenfield-Central is 1-2 and 0-1.
The Cougars are back in action Wednesday with another home HHC match. They will take on Yorktown at 7:30 p.m. The Marauders play host to Homestead on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
