By GALE CAVNESS
pressbox1.com

With archrival Martin Westview in town, Dyersburg soccer coach Lance Roy knew it would take a solid performance to get a win.

It doesn’t get more solid than a 5-0 shutout.

The Lady Trojans got a hat trick from Marci Coleman, individual goals by Emma Caylor and Laura Leigh Horner and five saves from goalie Mary Curren Viar to post the huge District 14-AA victory.

"This is the first game that we have dominated in each of the thirds of the field," Roy reported Wednesday morning. "Our forwards controlled the front, our midfielders and wings controlled the middle and our defense and goalie controlled the back.

"If we play like this every game, we’ll be hard to beat."

After besting Dyer County 13-0 in the season-opener, the Lady Trojans battled to a 1-1 deadlock at Liberty before coming home to shutout the visiting Lady Chargers.

The next test for Dyersburg (2-0-1) is Thursday when the Lady Trojans travel to Trenton for a 5 p.m. contest.

Against Westview, Coleman put the home team in control early in the match. After the junior found the net just 5:14 into the game to put Dyersburg on top, she did it again almost exactly two minutes later (7:13) to double the DHS lead.

With about five minutes to play before intermission, Coleman completed the hat trick to give the Lady Trojans a 3-0 advantage.

It was Coleman’s second three-goal game of the young season. She also accomplished the feat in the tussle with visiting Dyer County.

As play in the first half moved into the final minute, the Lady Trojans had a corner kick. The ball was sent into the Westview goalie’s box, only to be cleared by a defender. Fortunately, for Dyersburg, the ball went right toward Horner, who ripped a left-footed shot over the goalie’s head and into the back of the net.

At the break, it was 4-0 Lady Trojans.

According to Roy, the Lady Chargers were more aggressive in the second half. But the Dyersburg defense fought off their effort.

Caylor capped the scoring about six minutes into the second half with a breakaway goal.

Caylor also had an assist on a teammate’s earlier goal.

The coach credited Coleman, Dyersburg’s leading scorer, with the offensive performance of the game.

"She works hard every day in practice to improve and in the games, she always ends up being in the right place at the right time," Roy said. "She doesn't get nervous when the ball is at her feet and she finishes with finesse."

Roy called Horner's left-footed shot the offensive play of the night.

Defensively, the coach called the unit a "well-oiled machine" for the contest and very worthy of the shutout.

The coach singled out a particular effort for defensive play of the game honors.

What appeared to be a one-on-one scoring opportunity for the Lady Chargers was thwarted by senior Sam Eakin and sophomore Katie Taylor. They closed the distance between them and the ball and, along with Viar, a junior goalie, stopped the threat with a slide tackle at the goal line.