Pattonville Soccer Outlasts Hazelwood West in Conference Showdown

The Suburban North Conference girls soccer first-place showdown at Pattonville High on Thursday was dubbed the “Kicks For Cancer” game. The host Pirates and were not only playing their most important game of the regular season, but doing so in honor of loved ones battling cancer.

The charitable event surrounding the game was organized by Pattonville parent volunteer Karen Derksen, and all proceeds received from ticket and T-shirt sales, monetary donations, and a game-ball raffle were donated to the David C. Pratt Cancer Center at St. John's Mercy Hospital.

Players and coaches from both teams participated in the fundraising, and several hundred people turned out for the event hoping to set donation records, which Derksen said won’t be completely known until sometime next week.

But one thing was clear and certain to anyone in attendance at the game, and that’s the fact that Pattonville’s Kailey Utley is a remarkable player with extraordinary ability.

“She’s an unbelievable player,” West head coach Jason Sellers said. “She’s probably the best player in our league. And we just let her have too many good chances today.”

The five-foot, seven-inch junior striker turned in a sparkling performance that included three goals and an assist in the Pirates’ 4-2 win over the Wildcats.

“I keep telling the girls that we probably have one of the best players in the entire state of Missouri on our team in Kailey,” Pattonville head soccer coach Tom Iffring said. “And she may very well be the best.”

Utley certainly looked the part on Thursday, as she showed great speed, power, and finishing touches throughout the game in leading Pattonville to the victory, which allowed the Pirates to take sole possession of first place in the conference.

“I just told (West head coach Jason Sellers) ‘see you in the district championship game’,” Iffring said. “Because they’ve got a great team over there, and so do we, and we’re hoping we meet up again.”

Thanks to Utley, Pattonville is in position to re-claim the league championship, which it last won in 2009 and West won last year.

The Pirates remain unbeaten in league play, mostly because their star has played like one from the outset.

Utley missed two early scoring chances, but she made the most of her opportunity with about 14 minutes left, when she outran the defense to a free ball near the West net, and slammed a shot past West’s Cassie McMillin to give Pattonville a 1-0 lead.

The game stayed that way until halftime, which featured several touching tributes. Players from both teams announced to the crowd which friends and family members that had battled cancer they were playing for in the game.

In the second half, Utley played like she was playing for them all.

She gave Pattonville a 2-0 edge just five minutes into the second stanza, when she made a brilliant steal of an errant West pass, and broke into West’s end all alone.

Seemingly surprised by Utley, McMillin was frozen on her line, and really had no chance at stopping the conference’s leading scorer from adding goal No. 16.

Pattonville easily controlled the action for most of the first 65 minutes of play. But in a flash, West made two incredible plays and somehow tied the score.

The first came when West’s own superstar, junior Mariah Gove, faked out two Pattonville defenders and spun away from two more to make a splendid run through the Piractes’ box.

Gove attempted a shot that was deflected, but the ball rolled right to teammate Rachael Harris, who banged home a rebound for her second goal this season, making the score 2-1.

Just over one minute later, a Pattonville mistake allowed West’s Kaley Hill to be alone with the ball in Pattonville’s box.

And the freshman midfielder knew what to do with it, as she beat Pirates goalkeeper Chelsea Hawkins for her fourth goal of the season, tying the score at 2.

“It seems like we’ve had plays like that go against us all season,” Sellers said. “We’re probably due to have one go our way.”

For about a minute and a half, it was anybody’s game, and the momentum was certainly on West’s side.

But that was until Utley broke free again in West’s end, and found herself alone with McMillin.

And once again, Utley blasted a shot past the West goalie for her 17th goal and a 3-2 Pattonville lead.

West’s Gove almost tied the score again when she got loose in the Pattonville end. But her blast from just inside the box sailed high and over the net.

That was West’s last real scoring chance, and with 6:41 left, Utley helped put the Wildcats away when she set up freshman teammate Kaely Fitterling for her first varsity goal that made the score 4-2, and gave Pattonville its biggest win of the year.

Pattonville (8-6) is 3-0 in league play, while West fell to 8-7 overall, and 2-1 in conference.

Both teams will be in action again, weather permitting, on Monday, April 25.

The Pirates will play at Suburban North foe Riverview Gardens, while West will host non-conference opponent Wentzville Timberland. Both games are at 4 p.m.