From left, Poplar Bluff's Jackie LeGrand, Charlotte Garcia, Brittany Slayton, Morgan Allen and Breanna Moore walk off the field in the rain Tuesday following a 3-2 loss to Jackson in the MSHSAA Class 2 District 1 semifinal in Hillsboro. (Brian Rosener/DAR)

By BRIAN ROSENER ~ Sports Editor

HILLSBORO -- Having already been shutout three times by Jackson this spring, the Poplar Bluff Lady Mules tried something different Tuesday in the MSHSAA Class 2 District soccer semifinal.

The result, however, was the same -- another one-goal loss to the state-ranked Indians.

Poplar Bluff's Miranda Burroughs (1) and Jasmin Sumrall (20) break up an attack by Jackson during the first half. (Brian Rosener/DAR) [Click to enlarge]

Jackson scored twice in the first 13 minutes and added a late first-half goal before holding off the Lady Mules over the final 25 minutes for a 3-2 win.

"We tried to take some chances to create some offense," Lady Mules coach Mark Papp said. "When you take chances, you're going to give up some goals. Unfortunately again, they scored one more than we did."

Having not scored against the 11th-ranked Indians in the previous 240 minutes, Poplar Bluff got goals from Miranda Burroughs in the first half and Chelsea Garner's 23rd goal of the season in the second.

The Indians (17-2) got first-half goals from Jenni Tenholder, Lauren Drewett and Katelyn Myracle, then protected the lead to reach the championship game against Seckman.

The Lady Mules finished 11-8 for the first winning season in the history of the program.

Six of Poplar Bluff's eight losses were against ranked opponents including four to Jackson, which also won the postseason meeting last year, 4-1.

"Skillfully, they're better than us," Poplar Bluff senior Morgan Allen said. "We were just trying to play with heart and it just didn't come out in our favor."

Jackson got off a pair of shots a minute later but goalie Meagan Stucker made the first of her 10 saves and the other sailed high. Myracle broke through 4:12 into the contest when her shot from 20 yards found the far side of the net for a 1-0 lead.

Drewett scored eight minutes later off a pass from Bobbi Jo Schlick for a 2-0 lead.

"I thought we've got a pretty organized defense -- we're not giving up a whole lot of goals recently -- but they were not dribbling a whole lot," Papp said. "It was one- or two-touch (combinations). As soon as you send pressure to the ball, they play in behind.

"It's very difficult to defend a team that can do that."

After the second goal, Papp made a formation switch recognizing that Jackson was playing more through the middle of the field and not the flanks, as they did in previous games.

Over the final 55 minutes, the Lady Mules outscored Jackson 2-1.

"I didn't read it quickly enough," Papp said. "I felt like we needed some more pressure into the middle of the field so I pushed Miranda (Burroughs) out of the back, into the middle and she really kind of brought things together for us."

Burroughs gave the Lady Mules new life midway through the first half when she sent a long, high volley into the wind. The 40-yard shot sailed over goalie Morgan Riddick's hands and inside the far post to put Poplar Bluff on the board.

"It just lifted our spirits so much and mentally got us back in the game," Allen said.

Garner started the play with a steal at midfield and a pass up to Allie Thomas, who dribbled ahead before dropping a pass back to Burroughs, who scored her third goal of the season.

"That was a huge goal," Papp said. "It gave us a little confidence."

Thomas took a shot to tie the game with 10 minutes left in the half but Riddick made one of her five saves and Garner's shot three minutes later was blocked.

Tenholder gave Jackson a 3-1 halftime lead with 5:10 left before the break.

Poplar Bluff's Jasmin Sumrall turned away a Jackson attack out of the middle but Tenholder won the ball at the 30-yard line, dribbled up and got off a shot just inside the left post.

"I knew we weren't going to win the game in the first half," Papp said. "But we could have lost it. Had we not scored, I think that would have been a big problem."

The Lady Mules opened the second half with the wind at their backs and a free kick from 40 yards by LeGrand that was stopped by Riddick. A corner 10 minutes later was redirected wide of the net but Poplar Bluff cut the deficit in half with 26 minutes left to play.

Allie Pattillo started the attack on the left flank near midfield. Burroughs ran behind her, taking one defender along, opening up an inside seam for a pass to LeGrand. With a quick pass ahead, LeGrand put Garner on a break and the senior shot to the opposite post to pull the Lady Mules within a goal.

Following the kickoff, Poplar Bluff got right back on the offensive.

Burroughs had her throw into the box knocked out of bounds for a corner. Jackson senior Chelsea Dale headed the ball out to Schlick up the left side for a counter-attack. Emily Dieti got off a shot from Schlick's cross but it sailed high and Poplar Bluff defender Katie Godwin cleared another attack after Jackson won the goal kick.

With 18 minutes left, Poplar Bluff got another corner but Breanna Moore was an inch short from heading in the volley from Burroughs and the ball rolled out of bounds.

Poplar Bluff's best chance to tie the game came in the 71st minute when a Jackson defender fanned on a throw-in by Burroughs. That put LeGrand on a break but her long shot sailed over the crossbar.

The final three minutes were played in a light rain with Jackson controlling possession and defending their lead.

"I was impressed with the amount of heart we put into the game," Papp said. "We created more chances in the second half of tonight's game than we probably did the other three games."

Still, that was no consolation for the five seniors -- Garner, LeGrand, Allen, Charlotte Garcia and Brittany Slayton.

"Of course not," Allen said. "We can always go harder and I think it showed in the game by the score."

It was also the final game for Papp, who also coached the boys soccer team since 2001.

"Just a great group of girls," Papp said of the seniors. "Every one of them loves the game. They were the ones who for four years have been early to practice, always wanting to put in the extra time. Just a passion for the game."

Notes: Seckman beat Cape Central 2-1 in the other semifinal Tuesday. … Garner finished the season with 52 points (23 goals, six assists). … Strucker had a goal-against average of 1.26. … Poplar Bluff outscored opponents 67-23.