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JACKSON — Saturday was all about Lillian Mapes.
The sophomore standout showcased her speed, craftiness and ability to score, netting her first career hat trick to lead the Ironladies to a 3-1 victory over Circleville.
“It was really nice to see the work we put in practice over the past couple days work itself out on the field,” Mapes said. “We didn’t really string passes too much last season, but myself, Sydney (Carpenter) and Braelynn (Brennan) were dropping the ball back to the defenders and having them set up a pass streak. It was just great to see us all work as a team.”
CREDIT: Seth Fain/Fain Photography
Thursday’s loss to Warren sparked some quick changes that paid dividends for the Ironladies (2-1).
“We switched some people around and tried out a new lineup, so to come out with a win against a tough Circleville team is impressive,” Jackson coach Karena Ray said. “I know the girls really wanted this. We moved some players in the back row to see if they were better suited in certain roles and they did a wonderful job. Circleville is a fast team, but the girls played very well and handled them well.”
Early on, Circleville (1-2) was a little more aggressive with its attack while the Ironladies worked to figure out the best way to attack.
However, after over 25 minutes of back-and-forth play, it was Mapes’ time to get the ball rolling. After the ball bounced a few times, she got the final touch and struck the left corner to put the Ironladies ahead 1-0.
A little over 10 minutes into the second half, Braelynn Brennan delivered a perfect through ball and Mapes turned on the burners before beating Circleville’s keeper for the open goal and a 2-0 lead.
“Lillian is such a talented player and read the game very well,” Ray said. “She knew when to make her move and found the back of the net routinely. She played so well, as did everyone else who saw the field.”
Circleville attempted to get back in the game and regain some momentum as Makya Cockerham struck, connecting with the back of the net to cut the lead down to 2-1.
But the day ultimately belonged to Mapes.
With the ball at Sydney Carpenter’s feet, she delivered a beautiful through ball, one that only Mapes was going to get to and she put the finishing touches on the day, connecting on her third goal and ultimately icing the game for a Jackson victory.
Jackson returns to action on Tuesday at home against Miami Trace, opening FAC play, while Circleville travels to Wellington on Wednesday.
“Everytime we play Miami Trace, we know it’s going to be a really physical and emotional game,” Ray said. “We beat them once, but also tied with them last season, so we knew how scrappy they can be. The league title is wide open, so winning the first conference game is incredibly important.”
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