ALTON - It's hard to believe that the game between Marquette Catholic and Mater Dei Catholic was scoreless at halftime, but it was.
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"We played the first 40 minutes without really a purpose. Just going through the motions," Explorers head coach Brian Hoener said regarding the first half.
"It was our fourth game in four days and we played like it was our fourth game in four days."
Whether it was just a slow start or some tired legs finally catching up with the team, they were unable to get anything going in the first half.
"We had a little bit of a heart-to-heart at halftime and saw a lot more purpose and a lot more pride in the second half which is what this team has been doing all season long. So, I was happy with the way they responded to the halftime speech."
Whatever was said during that 10-minute intermission must have stuck with the boys, because they came back onto the field determined. They scored seven goals in the final 40 minutes.
Senior midfielder Dre Davis got things started for him and his team followed by a couple of goals from freshman midfielder Maicol Gonzalez and then another from Davis.
Senior forward Myles Paniagua got on the scoresheet with a couple of goals before Davis wrapped up his hat trick.
Davis, Paniagua, and sophomore midfielder Jude Keller each had an assist.
Sophomore goalie Will Fahnestock wasn't tested much but still came up with the shutout. It was the team's third in a row.
After a 2-1 loss in penalty kicks against cross-town rival Alton High back on Monday, the Explorers won three straight since Tuesday. They beat Highland (6-0), Metro-East Lutheran (10-0), and now Mater Dei (7-0). Outscoring your opposition 23-0 through three games isn't so bad.
The opposition gets a lot tougher tomorrow afternoon though. The Explorers host the Triad Knights (12-2) at 2:30 p.m. at Gordon Moore.
"We end the week with one of the best teams in the state and I'm excited about the challenge," Hoener said. "It's going to be a difficult opportunity for us but I'm excited to see the way we respond."
