Triad Soccer Team Wins Own Regional Title

By J.W. Campbell, Sportswriter

For the 10th year in a row, the Triad girls soccer team won a regional. The latest came on Friday, May 17 when the Lady Knights topped the Mascoutah Indians 3-0 in the Triad Class 2A regional.

The victory advances Triad into the Civic Memorial sectional, where the Lady Knights were slated to face Mattoon on Wednesday, May 22. Results of that contest were not available at press time.

In the championship match of the regional, Triad got the only goal it would need with 30:11 left in the first half when Jordyn Besserman found the back of the Mascoutah net. Before the half was out, Emily Rosenthal and Jordan Wilson would also score for the Knights.

Two Triad goaltenders and the defenders ahead of them made the lead hold up as Mascoutah managed just one shot on goal against the Lady Knights.

“The defense has been there all year for us, and not just the starters but the girls that come off the bench for us,” Triad Coach Matt Bettlach said. “We have 15 shutouts in 21 games, which is pretty awesome.

“Overall, the girls played well. From start to finish and we controlled the game. Mascoutah has gotten better over the years, so I told our girls that we had to match their intensity and use our skills to beat them. They were able to do that.”

Sydney Etter had Mascoutah’s only shot on goal, which came in the second half against Reagan Chigas, who made the save.

Sydney Packler was the Mascoutah goalie. She stopped 14 of 17 shots on goal by the Lady Knights.

Triad reached the regional championship game by beating  the Jerseyville Panthers 10-1 in a semifinal contest on Tuesday, May 14. Sydney Thomas led the Lady Knights by scoring a hat trick in the game. Katie Rogers added two other goals for Triad, while Wilson, Savannah Stauffer, Chelsea Riden, Taylor Hawkes and Jordan Barberis each had one apiece for the winners.

Brooklyn Winters had the only goal for Jerseyville.