Niles girls soccer coach Jo Schau tried to stay upbeat after her team fell to Mattawan, 8-0, in a Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference game on Friday.

“They were fighting,” Schau said about her team. “We played hard. It would have been easy to give up. There was a small window when there were three or four goals that came in a quick snap within four or five minutes and that really kind of broke our back for awhile.”

Three goals in a 31-second span in the first half gave Mattawan control of the game at 4-0. Mackenzie Swinehart scored twice and Baylie Kaiser scored once for the Wildcats during that key stretch.

Mattawan added goals at the end of the first half from Evangeline VanDyke and Kathryn Nutter.

The Wildcats had 25 of the 26 shots on goal in the first 40 minutes. The lone Niles shot in the first half came from Delayne Mudd. The shot from five yards sailed high over the goal with 8:30 left in the first half.

The game ended on a mercy-rule with 15:22 left in the match when Alison Wright scored from 20 yards. A Mattawan shot, which deflected off Niles goalie Bailee Kessler, set up Wright’s goal.

Kessler finished with 12 saves, including eight in the first half.

“There’s only three starters from last year that are back,” Schau said. “We’re inexperienced as a team, but the hustle is there. We just have to work together better as a team.”

 

MATTAWAN 8, NILES 0

Halftime Score

Mattawan 6, Niles 0

 

First Half

M –McKenzie Vanderweerd 24:39

M – Baylie Kaiser 16:56

M – Mackenzie Swinehart 16:39

M – Swinehart 16:25

M – Evangeline VanDyke 11:45

M – Kathryn Nutter 10:05

 

Second Half

M – Kaiser 36:17

M – Alison Wright 15:22

 

Shots On Goal

Mattawan 33, Niles 2

 

Saves

Mattawan 1 (Andrea Schieman)

Niles 12 (Bailee Kessler)

 

Corner Kicks

Mattawan 9, Niles 1

 

Varsity records: Mattawan 4-1, Niles 2-2