ABOVE: Fairmont's Kennedy Becker battles for a loose ball after it broke free from the hands of the Worthington goal keeper in a conference soccer game at Kot Fields Tuesday.

FAIRMONT – The Fairmont Cardinals never gave the Worthington Trojans much of a chance to get going in Tuesday’s Big South Conference girls soccer game.

Eight goals by the Cardinals in the first half was a big reason for it as the Cardinals cruised to a 9-2 win.

“I put all my starters in with 10 minutes left in the first half, and for two and a half minutes, it was the most dominating play I’ve ever seen out of a team,” said Fairmont girls soccer head coach Matt Nielsen. “It wasn’t necessarily a reflection on Worthington, [we] were just clicking on all cylinders and in the second half, you know, I wanted a lot of players to get a lot of experience, and so we got a lot of experience tonight with players who tripled their playing time tonight.”

The Cardinals wasted no time getting to work, scoring their first goal of the night in the first minute of the game courtesy of Kennedy Becker with the help coming from an Amalia Leiding corner kick. In the 10th minute Becker struck again, this time from a Mataya Weber pass from the left corner of the box. The Cardinals maintained consistent pressure not giving the Trojans any room to breathe regaining possession of the ball almost immediately after losing it.

“We’ve been focusing on set pieces for practices for the past two weeks,” said Nielsen. “Then in games it’s just been a point of emphasis because if you do them right, good things happen.”

In the 26th minute, Kaitlyn Hinz buried a shot in the back of the net from outside the box. The Cardinals maintained the pace, scoring again just five minutes later on a set piece that was delivered by Francesca Martin and found the foot of Madison Pluim for another Cardinal goal.

A flurry of goals followed heading into the final nine minutes of the half the first of which came off of a corner kick that Mollie Leiding bent inside the far post. A minute later Abbie Simpson tucked one into the left corner for the sixth goal of the night. In the 35th minute Mataya Weber scored off a cross sent from the left by Abbie Simpson. Candace Leiding found the net in the 38th minute off a pass from Makenzie Gerhardt closing out the half 8-0.

The Trojan offense found a spark opening the second half with their first goal of the game on a shot by Madilynn Singler in 42nd. The Cardinals responded with one of their own by Maddie Lieding from an Abbie Simpson assist. The Trojan defense found their footing challenging the Cardinal attack and clearing their zone effectively giving their offense an opportunity to go on the attack but the speed of Cardinals prevented any significant threat until the 43rd minute Sahrya Talamantes shook off her defender and put the ball in the lower right corner of the net.

The Cardinals consistent pressure allowed them to find opportunity after opportunity on net.

“We talk as a coaching staff about, you know, figure out the area where you think you’re going to have some success and let’s attack it, and if it doesn’t work the first time, try it a second time,” said Nielsen. “I thought Abby Simpson, in particular, on her long goal, you know, she saw an opportunity to speed defenders and take advantage of the keeper who came out a little bit and really put in a nice ball. So that was good to see.”

The Cardinals’ next game Thursday against Tri-City United at home.