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Mustangs keep Cardinals scoreless in 3-0 victory

Mustangs Athletics

September 13, 2024

Paducah Sun

The McCracken County Mustangs and the Mayfield Cardinals were able to face off on the soccer field on Thursday night, despite the torrential downpour caused by traces of hurricane Francine. The conditions slowed down the offenses on both sides, but McCracken still came away with the 3-0 win.

Both teams were trying to figure out what they could and couldn’t do in the first half, slipping and sliding all over the field. Senior Dexter Pacheco was able to find a rhythm and get past the defense with a nice cut and score the first goal for McCracken 25 minutes in.

“We had to focus on using our feet more,” Pacheco said about the adaptations the team made due to the rain. “We knew the ball was going to slide.”

McCracken scored their other two goals early in the second half, starting with an incredible bicycle kick in the box by Matthew King, followed by a breakaway goal by Mason Atnip just two minutes later.

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The Mustangs held strong in the final 30 minutes, even with some threatening chances from the Mayfield offense. This secured them the 3-0 win, and improved to 5-3-5 on the season. Mayfield falls to 3-6 with 10 games left for them in the regular season.

The Mustangs have struggled to get wins in the early part of the season, as they have tied in five games so far. This game marks their second straight win to open up the second half of the season. Pacheco has big plans for the Mustangs in coming games and believes the team will make a run in this final stretch.

“As a senior, I feel the need to step up this year, and the same with being a captain. I feel like it’s my duty to step up. We’re playing some tough teams, but we’re hoping to get good results.

Mayfield is hoping to snap their four-game losing streak this Saturday against University Heights. Meanwhile, McCracken is hoping to build upon their two consecutive wins with two games this weekend against Bryan Station and Daviess County.