Winning back-to-back Metro Cup titles is a feather in the cap of Alton girls soccer coach Jeff Hayes. And following the Redbirds’ victory over Belleville Althoff in Saturday night’s championship game, he indicated that this year’s feather may be just a little bigger.

“I was more concerned with winning the tournament this year than last year,” Hayes said following his team’s 3-2 victory over Belleville Althoff in the title match at Columbia High school. “Last year we won it, but I thought we might have slipped up on some of the teams.

“This year, teams were more prepared for us. We had three tough games to win this time and that’s really what we want at this time of the year. It seems like teams were already in mid-season form as far as fitness and the way they played.”

Hayes includes his own team among those with high fitness levels. The Redbirds took part in a six-week strength and conditioning program coordinated through Elite FT and its director, former Granite City and SIUE soccer standout Justin McMillian, who’s a former high school teammate of Hayes.

“It was a specific program for what our team needs,” Hayes said. “It’s hard work, but it paid off.”

Hayes added that conditioning for early spring soccer is different from early summer soccer.

“Definitely,” he said. “Nobody wants to stand around in the cold; you might as well be doing something and be in shape for it.”

With junior standout Brianna Hatfield and her high-scoring ways drawing most of the attention from opposing defenses, the Redbirds are in need of other goal scoring threats. And in just three games, it appears there will indeed be some relief.

Hatfield scored 14 goals and added 10 assists last season and had nine goals and an assist as a freshman.

“The other teams have girls tracking (Hatfield) all over the field,” Hayes said. “If she comes over to the sideline to talk to me, there’s a good chance a defender might just come with her.

“But we do have other girls who score.”

Indeed. In three games, the Redbirds have six goals, with four different players scoring. Saturday, Katie Kercher had two goals and Lindsay Grossheim one. In Friday’s night’s semifinal win over Columbia, Hatfield scored twice and in the opening 1-0 win over Marion, Morgan Rauscher scored.

Against Althoff, Kercher scored in the ninth minute from an assist by Lexi Schrimpf. After Althoff’s Emilia O’Neil tied it in the 13th minute, Grossheim scored from another Schrimpf assist to make t 2-1 Alton at halftime.

In the second half, Kercher’s second goal, assisted by Makayla Cox gave the Redbirds a 3-1 lead. Althoff’s Abby Lanter scored in the 73rd minute.

While the Alton players recognize the importance of scoring, they apparently also appreciate other aspects of the game. Following the championship game win over Althoff, the Alton captains selected sophomore midfielder Megan Zini as the tournament MVP.

“Megan is one of the most versatile players I’ve seen,” Hayes said. “In the first game against Marion, she played center back and is the next two games, she played some at wing, some attacking midfielder and some at striker. She’s about 5-6 and lean. She’s a tremendous role player and can do a really good job for us all over the field.

“It’s rare to have versatile players like that you have confidence in, no matter where they play.

“Our captains recognized that and they decided to vote her as the tourney MVP. Last year, she came in late and got some quality minutes in some games, but this year, it’s rare to see her come off the field.”

The Redbirds have more than a week off before their next action, the Southwestern Conference opener at O’Fallon.

“Playing three quality teams like we did in his tournament is what we need to help us get ready for the rest of the season,” Hayes said. “We look at the (SWC) games as almost their own season within a season. And it starts against O’Fallon.”