CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - The Notre Dame SoccerFest and the Poplar Bluff Mules are sore subjects for the Sikeston soccer team.
The Bulldogs haven't had much success in or against both recently and their unlucky streak on each front continued Thursday at Notre Dame High School.
Poplar Bluff defeated Sikeston 1-0 on a goal in the first half and did just enough to keep the Bulldogs scoreless the rest of the way.
Sikeston is a combined 2-7 during the 8-team, weekend tournament in the last three years and have lost their opening-round game now four-straight times.
"I've played in it in high school, I've coached in it for the last nine years now and if you're going to have teams like Notre Dame, Jackson, Carbondale, Cape Central whose much improved and Poplar Bluff, who always plays hard, you're going to have to earn everything you get," Sikeston coach Gabe Dement said.
Poplar Bluff has won five of the last six games against Sikeston and seven of the last 10. All of those games were decided by one goal.
"We were giving [Sikeston] opportunities to keep the pressure on in the second half," Poplar Bluff coach Rusty Crafton said. "I thought we got back on our heels, as we tend to do. We got lucky to get out of that one with a win."
Like many matches against Sikeston's conference rival and one-time district foe, physical play is the norm - three yellow cards were handed out - and a tight finish is nearly always expected.
After the Mules gained the upper hand late in the first half, Sikeston frantically tried to knot things up towards the end, but was thwarted each time.
Poplar Bluff (2-1) will take on Jackson, who defeated Marion, Ill., 5-1, at 5:30 p.m., Friday in a semifinal match.
"I'm proud of them," Crafton said. "We have one starter back from last year and this is pretty much a whole new group so this is a big win for us. I'm proud of our defense for staying strong in the second half."
Wanting to have the stiff wind that blew north to south on the practice field at Notre Dame High School at their backs down the stretch, Sikeston elected to go against the breeze in the opening half.
Their defense held off Poplar Bluff and the wind for much of the frame, but one mistake cost them dearly.
Sikeston (2-5) misplayed a ball out of bounds which eventually led to a throw in by the Mules. Daniel Lozano ended up with possession shortly after and worked the ball to his left and just inside the box with one defender to beat.
After working free, Lozano had enough space to send a low-lying rocket past Sikeston keeper Clark Steward into the side netting. It was a ball the 6-foot, 4-inch Bulldog goalie got a finger on, but couldn't keep from rolling in.
"They had a quick transition off a misplayed ball by us and [Lozano] found his foot on the ball in the box and made one good move and that's all he needed," Dement said. "That ball had to be played perfectly to get past [Steward] and it was."
With the wind at their backs and a new formation geared towards increasing shot attempts, the second half played much better for the Bulldogs offensively. Moving their best defender, Tyrik Porter, to forward was part of the change.
Porter, a quick-footed junior with long strides, gave the Mules fits up top. He created separation and beat them to many 50-50 balls, but the touch to put one on goal lacked for someone who had never played the position before.
"I thought he played great and proved he can do everything right except have the finishing touch," Dement said about Porter. "That's what we're going to start working on next."
Porter and a few other Sikeston players had their opportunities to tie things up. Breakaway chances went wide, corner kicks weren't on target or failed to be met by an incoming teammate, or they were just plain stopped by the Poplar Bluff keeper, freshman Justin Moses.
Sikeston out-shot the Mules 19-9 with nine of those shots on goal.
Moses earned his second shutout in as many games.
"From the jump, we decided to go against the wind at the start and played 39 perfect minutes against it," Dement said. "Then their guy got some space in the box and ripped a ball into the side netting. If we win that ball, it's 0-0 at the half and we might still be playing soccer right now. Or maybe one of our guys is more relaxed in the box and finishes a chance in the second half."
Poplar Bluff will play at either 3 p.m. Saturday for third place or at 5 p.m. in the championship. The Mules will have their home opener Tuesday against Murphysboro (Ill.).