The host Joplin Eagles recorded a pair of lopsided wins to capture the championship of their own Joplin Invitational Soccer Tournament on Saturday afternoon at the JHS athletic complex.
Competing in a three team round-robin event, Joplin beat Parsons 8-0 and McDonald County 8-0.
“We were glad that we were able to handle our business today,” Joplin coach Josh Thompson said, noting the shutouts were the first for the team this season. “We’re trying to set a tone. We don’t have any more practices before our next two games, so we wanted to use every bit of time that we can. These games are preparing us for Monday and Tuesday. We want to keep the momentum going.”
The Eagles dominated possession from the start against Parsons, a first-year program.
Brady Carter and Andrew Taylor scored early goals. Carter scored again in the 25th minute and Adam Montanez added a goal in the 32nd minute for a 4-0 lead.
Brayden Anderson and Montanez added goals late in the first half for a 6-0 advantage.
A senior forward, Carter scored his third and fourth goals during the first 10 minutes of the second half, ending the match.
The match with the Mustangs was similar to the one with the Vikings, as multiple players knocked in goals.
“We were glad that we could spread it around,” Thompson said. “Some guys who are usually defenders were able to come up and contribute offensively, so they were excited to be able to do that.”
With Saturday’s two wins, Joplin is now 6-9.
The Eagles host Springfield Catholic at 6:30 on Monday and travel to Ozark on Tuesday. There are just three weeks remaining in the regular season.
“We’re hoping this is something we can build from,” Thompson said. “This next week there will be three games where we’ll see good opponents that will tell us exactly where we’re at as a team. We just want to be our best by the time we hit districts.”
