MUNSTER | Crown Point coach Chris Mikrut had some special visitors attend his team's soccer match Thursday night.
His parents, who made the drive from Wauconda, Ill., saw him coach for the first time in 10 years since he started in Northwest Indiana.
They didn't leave disappointed, to say the least, as their son's team defeated Munster 3-1 in a battle of conference champions.
"We wanted to show Mikrut's parents that we're as good as he says we are," said senior midfielder Courtney Farrell, who scored a goal and added an assist. "We never underestimate anyone and came out with confidence."
The visiting Bulldogs (13-2), the Duneland Athletic Conference champs, were the aggressor throughout the first half and controlled the field for the majority of the time.
But the quick-strike ability of Times No. 1 C.P. apparently took Munster, the Northwest Crossroads Conference champ, by surprise, as Farrell took a corner kick from junior forward Maddie McConnell and headed it in for the first goal of the night just 1:24 into the game.
Things got worse for the host No. 3 Mustangs (13-3), as a mere six minutes later, Crown Point senior midfielder and reigning Times Player of the Year Sarah Rivich took a rebound off Mustangs keeper Parin Patel and knocked it in uncontested for C.P.'s second goal.
Crown Point's third and final goal came off the foot of freshman forward Anna Eksten after she got behind the Munster defense and took a pretty pass from Farrell and scored from 15 yards out.
Ten minutes later at 69:20, Munster finally broke through when sophomore Cayla Bales hit one off the hands of Bulldogs keeper Meghan Morasan, and senior Jennie Kristoff tapped in the rebound for the Mustangs' lone goal.
"I told the girls they were generous for playing so hard in front of my parents. We had a little bit of a letdown in the second half, but the girls played well," Mikrut said. "We were passing really well tonight, and our defense did a nice job of containing their speed."
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