May 1, 2014
Helms' hat-trick pushes Sikeston back to .500
sports@standard-democrat.com SIKESTON -- They seem to take turns having big days but Sikeston's forwards simply ride the hot hand. Wednesday was Torrie Helms' day on the pitch. The sophomore performed a hat-trick scoring three goals to help the Lady Bulldogs to a 5-1 finish over visitin Anna-Jonesboro, Ill., at the Sikeston Sports Complex...
By Chris Pobst - Standard Democrat
sports@standard-democrat.com
SIKESTON -- They seem to take turns having big days but Sikeston's forwards simply ride the hot hand.
Wednesday was Torrie Helms' day on the pitch.
The sophomore performed a hat-trick scoring three goals to help the Lady Bulldogs to a 5-1 finish over visitin Anna-Jonesboro, Ill., at the Sikeston Sports Complex.
"We have our good and bad days," Helms said about Sikeston's offensive attack. "We're really good friends so I think that helps a little bit. We're a very talkative team and we look for our passes and runs."
Along with Helms, Claudea Kuykendall and Larysa McClellon make up 24 of Sikeston's 29 total goals so far this season. Kuykendall and McClellon each scored Wednesday as well.
Kuykendall leads the team with nine goals, Helms has eight and McClellon sits with seven.
"It's always good to have not just one player the other team can mark the whole game," Sikeston head coach Gabe Dement said. "When you've got Claudea, Torrie and Larysa all up the other team can't really focus on one player."
The offensive dominance shown by Sikeston's three forwards led to the Lady Bulldogs' ninth win of the season -- matching it's wins-mark from a season ago.
Helms started things off with two goals in the first half.
The returning all-conference and all-district selection, who finished her freshman year with 13 goals and 12 assists, scored the games' first goal in the 16th minute. Helms sent a powerful kick from nearly 30-yards away that sailed between the crossbar and the out-stretched arm of Anna-Jonesboro's keeper. Her second came with just two and a half minutes remaining in the half from a free kick. Helms' shot raced toward the keeper's right side and snuck through despite a Anna's goalkeeper getting a forearm on Sikeston's second goal.
"Torrie put some good shots on frame," Dement said. "You see what happens when you put a shot on goal."
It didn't take long for Sikeston to continue the onslaught into the second half. Just two and a half minutes in, McClellon beat Anna's defense downfield and buried a shot to the left of the opposing keeper. Anna answered quickly, however, with its lone goal exactly two and a half minutes later.
That was the only hiccup Sikeston's defense allowed.
"We stayed pretty strong on defense," said Dement. "Madeline (Witt) had a great game for us back there on goal. She had sure hands. They had some good, hard shots on goal and she caught nearly every one of them clean. I was very proud of her."
With 25 minutes to play, Kuykendall gave Sikeston it's 3-goal lead back with the assist from Helms. The two took advantage of Anna's offside trap on numerous trips and this time it led to their fourth goal.
"I also want to help the other girls," said Helms. "If I can help with an assist I can. We work great as a team."
"You have to run even with the offsides line and when the ball is played you have to break off and go," Dement added about beating Anna's defensive trap. "I thought we did a good job with that and got several breakaways that way."
Helms put things completely out of reach with 6:21 left with her third goal. The hat-trick goal was Helms' second goal from a free kick.
"Anna was getting some chances in the first half and I feel like putting a three-goal lead on them took a little bit of wind out of their sails," said Dement. "It gave us some confidence as well."
Sikeston, who keeps hovering around the .500-mark, evened its record to 9-9 following Wednesday's win. They have six games remaining before the Class 2, District 1 tournament begins May 17.
"We can't seem to get over that hump," Dement said about their .500 record. "We've got six games left and I think all of them we can compete in. We're really trying to get the No. 2 seed in our district and we'll have to beat Cape Central and Farmington within these six games to achieve that goal."
Sikeston's next game is today against Marion, Ill.
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