METRO CUP PREP SOCCER: Redbirds blank Freeburg; CM, Jersey also win

Pete Hayes, phayes@thetelegraph.com

 Published 11:05 pm CDT, Monday, March 11, 2019

Photo:

Pete Hayes File Photo | The Telegraph

Alton’s Maggie Evans (18) scored two goals in her team’s 4-0 victory over Freeburg in Metro Cup tournament action Monday night on the first day of the IHSA girls soccer season. Calista Cox (10) assisted Evans on the game’s first goal. The two are shown celebrating an AHS goal last season.

Maggie Evans and Alaina Nasello put together a nice welcome for first-year Alton girls soccer coach Gwen Sabo. Each scored a pair of goals and helped Alton to a 4-0 victory over Free burg in the opening round of the Metro Cup Adidas bracket at Freeburg.

“We definitely had some first-game jitters,” Sabo said, “and our excitement caused us to play a little too quickly.

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“We were forcing things that led to turnovers.”

The Redbirds pulled away from a 1-0 halftime lead with three second-half goals.

We made some adjustments at halftime and really settled in during the second half,” Sabo said. “I’ll give a lot of credit to Freeburg. They brought a lot of energy and kept the pressure on us.”

Evans scored from an assist by Calista Cox in the 25th minute. Her second goal, nine minutes into the second half, gave the redbirds a 2-0 lead.

Then it was Nasello’s turn. She scored in the 67th minute and 77th minute to ice the victory for Alton.

“I think we all breathed a sigh of relief to get our first win of the season under our belts. I know I did.”

The Redbirds will play their second Metro Cup game at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday when they face Marion at Freeburg.

In other Metro Cup Adidas bracket scores Monday, it was Belleville East 4, Roxana 0; O’Fallon 10, Breese Mater Dei 0 and Rochester 1, Waterloo Gibault 0.