Playing against a squad of all-stars with just six players from public schools on its roster, Francis Howell teammates Melanie Hunt and Ally Rodriguez said they took special pride in what they - and a handful of others girls from the Gateway Athletic Conference - helped their side accomplish at the 27th annual Missouri Athletic Club North/South Senior All-Star game at the Anheuser-Busch Center in Fenton on Thursday.
Each of the six goals scored by the North side were either tallied or set up by a player from the GAC, as the North team beat the South team 6-2.
The significance of that fact wasn't lost on Hunt.
"We were looked at like we were just public school girls headed into this thing," Hunt said. "The fact is that (roughly) 75 percent of this team tonight was public school girls. We played as a team and went out and beat all the private school girls that are supposed to be so good so it was just a good feeling."
Hunt, who described the team chemistry as if they ‘had known each other on the team for years,' scored two goals, as did Rodriguez.
Hunt's opening goal was set up by Fort Zumwalt West's Sarah Krispin and Troy Buchanan's Kelsey Vanzant roughly halfway through the first half.
Howell's Julie Mooney set up GAC contemporary and Washington senior Kayla Nurmberger with the second goal and Rodriguez was, in turn, set up by Nurmberger just before halftime to make it an all-GAC show and a 3-0 North lead.
"This was an honor to be here and it was a great game," Krispin said. "We all had fun but (for the girls from the GAC) it was really fun."
Rodriguez ripped a shot from 35 yards out early in the second half to make the score 4-0.
It was her second goal of the game.
"You know, it was like we went out there as a family," said Rodriguez of her North side teammates, GAC and otherwise. "We just went out there to have some fun and that's what we did."
After a bevy of chances led by the GAC contingent, which included Nurmberger just missing a shot and then hitting the crossbar, the North squad went to work again behind the efforts of the conference's best seniors.
The lead was upped to 5-1 when Zumwalt East's Hailey Rodgers set up Hunt for an easy rip into the back of the South net.
"After getting a second goal, you get the chance to relax a little," Hunt said. "This is a fun event anyway but to (have the two goals makes it even more so)."
Rodriguez agreed with Hunt's assessment, even if what she experienced Thursday was new to her.
"She (Hunt) does this all the time, but this is new for me," Rodriguez said. "I am so excited. I just can't believe it."
Even though a North goal was finally scored by a girl not residing in the GAC, there was a conference girl involved.
Rodgers set up Incarnate Word Academy's Natalie Kuhleneberg for the goal with 16:58 to wrap up the big night for the GAC.
