By By Tony Krausz / assistant sports editor
June 23, 2003
The Meridian Youth Soccer Organization (MYSO) Owen soccer team may not have built a wall in front of its goal, but the competition in the under-16 boys' division at the State Games of Mississippi must have felt like it did for the final three games.
MYSO Owen didn't allow a single ball to cross its ball line for 240 minutes of play, after allowing two goals in the first game of the tournament on Saturday.
The Queen City futbol squad's staunch defense culminated with the team capturing the gold medal with a 5-0 victory over Clinton in the final match of the 2003 tourney on Sunday at the Northeast Park Soccer Complex.
Scott Truesdale recorded the gold-medal game shutout and the team's shutout in its third game of the weekend against South Madison Sunday morning. He also combined with Scott Owen for a shutout in the team's second game on Saturday.
Scott Owen notched what proved to be the only score Truesdale needed in the opening half of the gold medal game.
Owen beat the Clinton sweeper in a footrace for a long clear from the MYSO zone, and the forward sent a shot past the goalie from just outside of the goal box for a 1-0 lead with 10 minutes left in the first half.
Prior to the score, MYSO Owen and Clinton, who met on Saturday with MYSO Owen winning 3-0, had been unable to gain a clear advantage, as the action ping-ponged from the two team's offensive zones.
MYSO Owen carried the momentum from its late first-half goal into the second half, as the squad pumped in four more goals in the final 40 minutes.
Anthony Thomas started the scoring bonanza for MYSO Owen poking away a rebound from the Clinton goalkeeper and burying the ball into the center of the open net for a 2-0 lead, a minute into the half.
Michael Pogue followed the quick first goal scoring a pair of goals at the 19-minute mark and the 29-minute mark of the second half. He scored his first goal on a break away and he tallied his second goal of the game finishing a crossing pass from Thomas into the right of the net.
Josh Sonak wrapped up the scoring, sliding a shot into the bottom right corner from about five feet in front of the goal.
In the U16 boys' bronze medal game, MYSO Wilson notched a 2-1 win over South Madison.
Bryan Hayes and Micah Hodges each tallied a goal for a 2-0 lead for MYSO Wilson, and the team hung on to take home the medal.