The Collinsville girls soccer team entered the 2014 season with state championship hopes. Their hopes may have dimmed a bit after a season-opening loss to perennial powerhouse Chatham-Glenwood, but the team bounced back with a convincing 2-0 victory over Waterloo-Gibault Wednesday.

Chelsea Noser / Photo by Roger Starkey

Playing with a pink ball in their “Kick it to Cancer” game, the Lady Kahoks (1-1) came out strong against the Hawks (2-4). Like Saturday, Collinsville was hitting the ball to the right spots, Head Coach Clay Smith said.

“Tonight we had a little bit of pep in our step and we were making the correct runs to help each other out,” Smith said. “I think that was the difference between tonight and Saturday, and we got two pretty quick goals as a result.”

Junior midfielder Sophia Sharos opened the scoring with her second goal of the season. Sharos scored on a feed from freshman midfielder Andrea Frerker, who had beaten a couple of defenders before the pass.

The second Kahok goal came at the conclusion of another nice run by Frerker, whose shot was deflected. Junior forward Mikayla McCarthy hammered home the deflection for her first goal of the year.

“Mikayla happened to make a good run, off the ball, and she got to the correct spot and buried it,” Smith said. “That’s good for Mick, we need her confidence to get up a level.”

The defense clamped down the rest of the way, sending the Kahoks to a confidence-building victory ahead of their Southwestern conference opener at 6:30 p.m. Thursday against Edwardsville at Kahok Stadium.