GREENFIELD — Junior Jaicee Cole has done a little bit of everything for the Mt. Vernon girls soccer team this season.
In the team’s first two matches, she’s played as a back row defender — the position she is listed at on the team’s roster — and in the midfield.
In Tuesday’s Hoosier Heritage Conference opener against Hancock County rival Greenfield-Central, she got a chance to play a little more on the attack, up top as a forward.
“I’ve played in the midfield this year, but this was my first game playing forward and it kind of worked out well,” Cole said after her two-goal performance in the Marauders 3-1 victory over the Cougars Monday.
Cole scored the team’s second and third goals, the latter giving the Marauders a 3-0 lead in the 47th minute.
“She’s a dynamic player,” Mt. Vernon head coach Aaron Britt said of Cole. “She’s moved around (at different positions) and is still doing everything for us. She does what we need.”
Mt. Vernon scored first in the 19th minute. Greenfield-Central fouled two-time Hancock County Player of the year Kylie Brandes, just left of the box, an area she has connected on numerous free kicks throughout her career.
She had been fouled in a similar spot one minute earlier, but the Cougars blocked her attempt. They weren’t as fortunate giving the Austin Peay commitment a second chance.
“For four years that’s been her thing, anywhere in there and around,” Britt said. “She’s got a great shot at it and we’re going to let her do it.”
After the match, Greenfield-Central head coach Brandon Steeno pointed to an area a few yards beyond the spot where Brandes scored the game’s first goal. “The line of demarcation for Kylie Brandes, once she crossed it we couldn’t give up those fouls, but she got one in a garden spot for her. A kid that’s going to Austin Peay, you can’t give that up. (Our team) learned from it.”
Less than three minutes after Brandes scored, Cole got the first of her two goals to give Mt. Vernon a 2-0 lead.
“Our focus today was just a better start,” Britt said. “We’ve won two games coming into tonight, but in both games the first 15-20 minutes we never really got going. Tonight we wanted to come out ready and be aggressive and pressure. I couldn’t be more happy with the way we controlled the game, how we took the air out of the ball for the majority of the game and worked it around.”
Cole was at it again early in the second half.
Less than seven minutes in to the period, Cole quickly dribbled down the right sideline and rifled one in for a 3-0 lead.
“I use my speed to my advantage,” Cole said. “I got a good shot off, luckily it went in and gave us a lot more confidence. A 3-0 lead is a lot harder for a team to come back from than 2-0.”
Greer Stamper and Taylor Bastin had assists on Cole’s goals.
Though three goals down, Greenfield-Central continued to give its best efforts and had its best chances in the final 30 minutes.
Junior Chloe Gardner was able to get the ball in scoring areas numerous times in the second half. Freshman Aubrey Bush also had some chances, including one where she was fouled inside the box.
Junior Paige McCarley took the kick from the penalty area and scored with 27:44 remaining to cut Mt. Vernon’s lead to 3-1.
It was McCarley’s fifth goal of the season.
“I’m really optimistic moving forward,” Steeno said. “How they responded, they didn’t give up, and they were mentally strong through the heat. We had a 2-0 deficit and they played really well in the second half. The girls took the challenge on and responded.”
Mt. Vernon is defending its HHC title that was shared a year ago with New Palestine. The Marauders are 3-0 overall and 1-0 in the HHC. Greenfield-Central dropped to 1-4 and 0-1. The Marauders travel to Guerin Catholic (0-2-1), ranked No. 1 in Class 2A on Wednesday. The Cougars continue HHC play, at home, Wednesday against Yorktown (2-1, 0-1).
