Perry unloaded shot after shot against the Denison-Schleswig goal Tuesday, with seven attempts finding the netting for a Class 2A Substate 2 Semifinal victory at Dewey Field.
The Monarchs (7-7) were lucky to trail only by a 5-0 margin at the half, as at least four promising attacks from the hosts ended in shots sailing wide or high, with goalie Kailey Pick making impressive saves on two other rips at her goal.
The Jayettes (10-6) were in control from the opening moments, with first-half goalie Amparo Menendez and second-half keeper Carly Anderson rarely challenged.
Grace Marburger’s fifth goal of the season gave the hosts a 1-0 lead in the fifth minute, with freshman Natalie Martinez moving the scoreboard four minutes later.
Fellow freshman Jaelyn Waddle made it 3-0 after only 15 minutes of play with her first varsity goal. Waddle found the ball on her foot near the 18-yard mark and just outside the left post, but lifted a soft shot that climbed into the upper corner of the goal.
D-S tried to move the ball into the Perry defensive zone with long outlet passes over the top of the defense, but Jayette defenders were more than up to the task and turned away any potential threats.
Sophomore Syd Guerra scored on a breakaway in the 27th minute, then scored again 92 seconds later with a deadly-accurate shot from 15 yards out that found the tiniest sliver of an opening just inside the left post to give Perry the 5-0 halftime lead.
Miscommunication cost the Monarchs early in the second half when Pick and two defenders became confused over who would handle a blocked shot. Guerra was in the right spot at the right time, dribbled once around Pick and quickly rolled the ball into an unguarded goal for her third score of the game to complete the hat trick. She now has four games this season of at least three goals and has 16 for the season.
Martinez doubled that number with a rip in later in the half that ended the scoring. The freshman is tied for third in Class 2A with her 32 goals, easily the most prolific scoring season in school history. Oskaloosa’s Aleeya Cheney is next on the 2A list when counting freshmen only. Cheney has 17 goals in 17 games; Martinez has appeared in 14 contests.
The win sets up a Substate Final Monday at 6 p.m. on the home pitch of second-ranked Lewis Central (12-3) in Council Bluffs. The Titans topped Glenwood (9-8), 2-0, in their Tuesday meeting.
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