Pekin 3, Morton 2

MORTON, Ill. -
If there was a way to gauge how far Pekin High School’s girls’ soccer team has come this season, it would be against Mid-Illini power Morton.
On Tuesday night, the Dragons passed that test with flying colors, beating Morton 3-2 to hand the Potters their first loss in conference play since 2003.
Junior Danica Mason’s first career goal with less than four minutes to play was the game-winner, sending Pekin into a tie for first-place in the league with the Potters.
“It is an incredible feeling,” Pekin coach Edgar Sandoval said. “This is the result of all the hard work in the off season, playing with passion and believing in each other.”
The Potters got on the board first when SIU-Edwardsville signee Kristin Dierker beat the Dragons defense and scored about 20 minutes into the match.
But the Lady Dragons answered back. Junior Shawna Swisher found freshman Sarah Zuercher at the top of the box, Zuercher put a beautiful move on her defender and launched a rocket past Morton keeper Brooke Bisping to knot it up going into the half.
It was the first goal Pekin had ever scored on Morton.
“That goal gave us a lot of confidence,” said Sandoval, who notched his 50th career victory. “It let our girls know that Morton is beatable. But I challenged them to focus. … one play, one touch, one possession at a time and not think about the result.”
The Lady Dragons (10-3-1, 6-1-1) fell behind again when sophomore Holly Bennett scored on a header just after halftime.
But unlike previous matches with Morton, Pekin would not be denied. Midway through the half, Swisher found Zuercher again and this time she blasted it home to tie the match again.
The game remained tied with Pekin and Morton threatening to score several times before the Lady Dragons forced their sixth corner kick.
“I started screaming ‘aim for the six’ (top of the goal box) because the wind had taken Sarah’s last three corner tries,” Sandoval said.
Zuercher’s strong drive found it’s way through the Morton defense where Mason was waiting at the top of the box for the game winner.
Pekin’s Morgan Lynn was outstanding in goal, stopping 17 Morton shots including several diving saves.