Familiarity breeds intensity, and that was evident on May 1 as St. Vincent and Perryville squared off in a crosstown and district rivalry match at The Bank of Missouri Soccer Complex in Perryville.
With many of the players having grown up together on the same youth teams, the Lady Indians and Lady Pirates knew exactly what to expect — and St. Vincent ultimately used that familiarity to its advantage in a 6-1 victory.
St. Vincent (14-2) wasted little time setting the tone, scoring 3 goals in the first half to take control before adding 3 more after the break. Perryville (7-6) managed a lone second-half goal but struggled to keep pace with the Lady Indians’ balanced attack.
“This is always a tough game being a crosstown rival,” St. Vincent coach Cari Barnes said. “We always know going in it’s going to be a tough one, and it definitely played out that way.”
Lana Adams led the way for St. Vincent with 3 goals and 1 assist for 7 points, continuing her standout season. Sloane Wibbenmeyer added 2 goals and 1 assist, while Morgan Schnurbusch contributed a goal and an assist. Aubrey Emmendorfer and Rylee Robinson each recorded an assist as the Lady Indians piled up offensive pressure throughout the match.
Despite the lopsided scoreline, the match was competitive early, with Perryville battling through a strong first-half push from St. Vincent.
“I felt like they came at us the first half pretty quickly,” Perryville assistant coach Amanda Nuyt said. “We struggled the past couple of games from the start, and once we kind of locked in we felt a little more comfortable.”
Nuyt said communication breakdowns proved costly for the Lady Pirates, especially in key moments that led directly to goals.
“Some of their goals were just some missed talks and no communication,” she said.
Still, Perryville showed resilience as the game progressed, adjusting its formation and generating more chances late in the first half and into the second. Maddie Gremaud accounted for the Lady Pirates’ goal off an assist from Brynn Wibbenmeyer, lofting a shot over the keeper.
The rivalry intensity extended beyond tactics, with both teams making adjustments as the match unfolded. Perryville’s midfield — including Gremaud, Emma Blechle and Ava Ernst — worked to slow down St. Vincent’s attack and improve possession.
“I felt like our midfield really hustled,” Nuyt said. “They tried to contain her, and we mixed things up to try to create more from the midfield.”
St. Vincent faced its own adversity late in the match. Adams, the team’s leading scorer with 49 goals and 14 assists this season, exited in the second half due to injury, and the Lady Indians also played short-handed after a late red card.
Even so, the Lady Indians closed strong, something Barnes said reflects her team’s ability to stay composed.
“I think as a whole, the group pulled together well,” Barnes said. “Our backline stayed strong… and we played well to finish the way we did.”
Barnes also credited her team’s familiarity with Perryville for helping them manage the match.
“[Perryville] is always solid,” she said. “We know the team well enough to know where their strengths are, and I feel like our girls handled it very well.”
For both teams, the late-season matchup carried added significance with district play approaching. Nuyt noted the urgency her team is beginning to feel.
“The season’s winding down, and I think the girls are realizing that,” she said. “Every game is the last one for the seniors.”
And in a rivalry where players share history long before high school, every meeting carries a little extra weight — regardless of the final score.
