It was a big win for the Chillicothe Lady Hornets soccer team Wednesday night as the Lady Hornets defeated Kirksville 2 to 1 in front of a large home crowd. Coming off a lackluster performance against LeBlond on Monday, Chillicothe came out fired up and controlled the tempo of the game for most of the first half.  Unfortunately Kirksville drew first blood with a goal in the 12th minute off a free kick that sailed high and just off the fingertips of Hornet keeper Cyrsten Lollar.  
     The Hornets evened the game ten minutes later when forward Lacey Nibarger collected a pass from Miranda Mammen and sent a hard shot on the ground to the right of the Kirksville goalkeeper and into the back of the net.  Chillicothe threatened to score several times toward the end of the half but failed to finish with a goal. 
     The second half was dominated by Kirksville with the aid of a stiff tailwind but the Chillicothe defense consisting of Anna Luetticke, Hope Peters, Carly Anderson and standout Echo Followwill held the Lady Tigers scoreless. With time winding down, the Hornets sent the ball up field in transition and forward Kylie Barton finished the build up with a solid left footed shot that scooted by the Kirksville goalie. 
     The remaining three minutes were tense as Chillicothe withstood several Kirksville shots, but Lollar put the finishing touches on a fantastic game by deflecting several shots on goal. Chillicothe's key to victory was the midfield control and defense provided by Jordan Gardner, Laura Turner, Brooke Thomas and Leslee Moore.  The Lady Hornets also received major contributions from substitutes Mammen, Megan Dominique and Ashiah St. Onge.  The Hornets will be back in action four times next week beginning with a game at St. Joe Benton on Monday and hosting games against Cameron and Savannah on Tuesday and Thursday.