GU kickers tumble to Crusaders

Published 4:00 pm Tuesday, November 11, 2003

St. Mary’s def. Grant Union 3-0

MEDFORD – The 2003 soccer season for Grant Union High School came to an end Tuesday, Nov. 4, when St. Mary’s defeated the Prospectors 3-0 in the second round of the OSAA/US Bank/Les Schwab Tires Class 2A playoffs.

The loss marked the second year in a row the Crusaders have defeated Grant Union in a playoff match.

“St. Mary’s has a quality team,” Grant Union coach Ken Purnell said. “They are 15-0 on the season and have beaten Class 3A and Class 4A teams, in addition to everyone in their league. They lost just three seniors off the team which reached the 2A final match last year.”

The Prospectors played a tough match on a sloppy field, and the score was 0-0 at halftime.

“It was cold day, and it rained the entire match,” Purnell said. “I was really pleased with the heart and determination our kids showed, especially in the first half.”

St. Mary’s scored its first goal on a penalty kick and then put in a second goal to take a 2-0 lead.

“The score stayed that way until late in the match when they scored their final goal,” Purnell said. “It was a good match and we played well. We just got beat by a better team.”