Deer Lakes lost just two Section 4-2A games last year. Both were to Mt. Pleasant.
The Lancers on Monday evening hoped to avenge those 2024 outcomes, wins by the defending section champion Vikings by a combined 9-0.
But Mt. Pleasant had other ideas.
The game was as close and intense as both teams expected. Each had a goal in the first half before Vikings junior forward Camryn Kapr scored midway through the second half in what turned out to be a 2-1 Mt. Pleasant win at Lancers Stadium.
“Deer Lakes gave us everything we could handle, especially in the first half, so we had to figure out how to recover the momentum,” Mt. Pleasant coach Rich Garland said. “With the reputation these girls have earned, everyone is going to want to beat us. We can’t have a night off. Deer Lakes certainly brought it to us and showed that they are a top team again this season.”
Mt. Pleasant improved to 4-1-1 overall and 2-0 in the section. Deer Lakes lost for the first time in six games and fell to 1-1 in section play.
“Both teams played extremely hard, and they got those two goals off corner kicks,” Deer Lakes coach Frank Accetta said. “We did what we wanted to do and were able to shut down their top player. It just came down to us needing to bury one. They did, and we didn’t. That’s soccer.
“The good thing about it is that it’s still Sept. 8, and we’re still 5-1. We’ll get to see them again at their place. I told the girls that they played a tremendous game tonight.”
Both teams put pressure on the opposing goal to start the second half as the intensity of the game picked up.
Senior Claire Cacurak gave Deer Lakes its first shot on goal of the half with a direct kick in the fifth minute.
Mt. Pleasant countered, and a corner kick attempt two minutes later was turned away by the Lancers defense.
The winner came off a second corner.
Vikings senior forward Morgan Gesinski took the kick and placed the ball right to the mass of players in front of the net. Kapr rose up and headed the ball into the back of the net to give the visitors the lead.
“We practice corner kicks every day, probably 35-40 minutes through the week, and we are always set up to make a play,” Garland said. “Camryn has that play down to where she posts up on the keeper, Morgan keeps it tight to the goal and Camryn turns on it and puts it in the net. It works when we can connect on it.”
When Kapr landed, she twisted her ankle. She was down for a few minutes but eventually made it to her feet and to the sideline with some assistance.
“We got some ice on it, and we will see how she is doing,” Garland said. “We’ll have the trainer look at it (Tuesday) when we get in.”
Mt. Pleasant kept up the pressure and scored another corner kick less than a minute after the goal.
Despite the deficit, Lancers players didn’t fold. With about 10 minutes left, Cacurak came down the left wing and, with a defender closely marking her, was able to get off a shot from 10 yards directly on Mt. Pleasant senior keeper Laurel Rummel.
But Rummel was able to scoop up the ball and clear it away.
The Vikings defense then closed out the key section victory.
“We made some adjustments in the second half,” Garland said. “We brought the ball down to the deck and were connecting passes. We weren’t kicking it long anymore. We were connecting through the midfield and building from there. The opportunities started coming after that.
“Then with 10 minutes left, we sat back into a 4-5-1 and dared them to try and get through that. They did have a couple penetrations, but we were able to keep it out of the net.”
Mt. Pleasant scored 20 goals and surrendered just one through its first five games. South Park scored in a 1-0 win over the Vikings on Saturday.
Deer Lakes had pitched four straight shutouts after a season-opening 3-1 win over Seton LaSalle. The Lancers came into the game with 17 goals scored.
Both defenses were stingy in the first half as they allowed their opposition few chances.
But each team was able to get one past the last line.
Mt. Pleasant got on the board first in the fourth minute as junior defender Addy Czekaj pushed up on a Vikings corner and positioned herself at about the 18. When the ball came to her out of the scrum, she deposited it in the back of the Deer Lakes net.
The midway point of the first half came and went before the Lancers were able to get the equalizer.
Freshman Addy Gally set up the scoring play with a corner kick that sailed into a group of green-and-white shirts within 6 feet of the goal. Sophomore Josie Buchanich was in position and headed the ball past Rummel.