Blue Ridge Soccer Overcomes Wet Conditions in 5-0 Win over Heyworth

FARMER CITY, Ill. -- If Monday's match at South Park is any indication, the Knights will play in the regional final as they did last year.

In a preview of October 11's Monticello Regional semifinal game, Blue Ridge beat the Hornets (and the wet, windy and cold elements) 5-0.

"We came out a little flat today, but with the rain and the cold, it was no big deal,” Blue Ridge coach Marty Price said. “This is the first game we’ve played in the rain this year. It’s a lot different.”

Before the rain came, Ian Riggs (pictured above) got the scoring going with a corner kick from the left side that went into the net on the upper-right side.

Although the goal itself was unassisted, the corner kick was set up by a shot from J.J. Malone that Heyworth goalkeeper Wesley Anderson saved with his outstretched arms while diving to his right side.

That turned out to be the match-winning goal. J.J. Malone added an insurance score with less than four minutes remaining in the first half. Malone took a breakaway pass from Conner Builta and, after the Hornets deflected the ball away from him, recovered and took a shot that went into the net on the upper-left side.

Although Builta (pictured above) was not credited with the assist on that goal, he did get a goal of his own in the second half when he kicked a shot that deflected off Heyworth defenders and bounced into the net. The goal was credited as unassisted as well.

Malone scored the next two goals to record yet another hat trick. The first of those goals was scored when he kicked the ball to the right side, barely past Anderson.

The final goal of the game occurred when Malone received a pass from Lane Arteman that a Heyworth defender tried to intercept, but whiffed at instead. Malone (No. 5, pictured below) got a breakaway goal as a result, and Arteman was credited with the Knights' only assist of the match.

Blue Ridge finished the match with 24 shots on goal while the Hornets only got one shot on net. On that one shot, Josh Plunk was credited with his lone save of the match.

Meanwhile, Anderson recorded 11 saves in a losing effort.

With the win, the Knights improve to 16-1-2 and will play at Monticello on Tuesday.