Lackluster Hickman soccer falls to Jefferson City

COLUMBIA — The Hickman girls soccer team can’t seem to catch a break.

A controversial no-call in the penalty box in the final minutes kept the Kewpies off the scoreboard again. Hickman fell 1-0 to the visiting Jefferson City Lady Jays on Tuesday night. With Hickman (2-8-2) desperately scrambling for a goal in the waning minutes, senior forward Amanda Sudduth streaked down the right wing and sent a perfect low-lying cross through the box to sophomore Katie LaRue. LaRue would have had an open shot if she wasn’t tripped up. The referee kept the whistle in his pocket, dashing the hopes of the Kewpie faithful.

“It’s frustrating,” senior goalie Kelsey Mescher said. “I keep feeling we are getting better and better but the scores are not showing it.”

Jefferson City scored on an impressive individual effort from sophomore forward Molly Cowley in the 49th minute. After receiving the ball on the right wing, Cowley made a quick cut move through the Hickman defense and capped it off by burying a left-footed shot into the lower right-hand corner.

“They were doing a good job of finding some front-runners who had some space,” Hickman coach Jeff Wallace said. “We could have done a better job of defending on that goal.”