Maryville falls to Pleasant Hill in state quarterfinal

May 30—PLEASANT HILL, Mo. — The Maryville Spoofhounds entered the Class 2 state quarterfinal with high hopes and looking to make history, but it wasn't enough as Pleasant Hill claimed its spot in the Final Four with a 2-0 victory Saturday at Pleasant Hill Middle School.

"It's not what we came here for, but that's how the game goes," Maryville head coach Jesus Gonzales said after the loss.

After a scoreless first half which saw both teams attempting to capitalize on a handful of good looks, the Chicks got on the board first in the second half with 23:49 remaining.

"Their striker was really fast and really strong and she knew how to play the game. She got two chances, small ones, and she took advantage of them," Gonzales said.

Later in the second, some last chance shots from the Spoofhounds nearly saw the back of the net.

However, Pleasant Hill managed to add a late goal, advancing to the state semifinal with a 2-0 win.

"I wanted to see a little bit more of determination when we were on the offense," Gonzales said. "We need to keep working. we were so close."

The Spoofhounds close out the season with a 17-4 mark, clinching their sixth straight district championship under Gonzales' first year at the helm.

"For sure they're going to come back next year really strong," Gonzales said. "They are great girls. They tried to play the game, and that's a big improvement just in two months."

Micaela Dea can be reached at micaela.dea@newspressnow.com.

Follow her on Twitter: @NPNowDea