Ryann Bunner's big 4th quarter helps Wentzville edge Eureka in girls lacrosse showdown

The Wentzville midfielder scored the game-tying and winning goals 1 minute and 55 seconds apart midway through the fourth quarter and then came up with a big defensive play in the game’s dying seconds to preserve her team’s thrilling 8-7 win over Eureka in a Missouri Scholastic Lacrosse Association contest at Heartland Park.

Bunner scored 22 goals last season for Wentzville, including three in a season-opening win. She made it two years in a row with an opening-day hat trick Wednesday.

“It was super fun,” Bunner said. “Last year we didn’t get to play them, so we knew it was gonna be a tough game, but we were able to keep it tight and let it stay a competitive game.”

Wentzville stretches win streak

Wentzville (1-0) — which has players from all four Wentzville School District schools — went a perfect 11-0 last season (it was not able to take part in the season-ending MSLA playoffs due to sanctioning issues) and extended its winning streak to 12 with a win its season opener.

Defending MSLA runner-up Eureka (2-1) was the only final four team Wentzville didn’t face and beat on its unbeaten run last season (the teams’ regular season meeting was canceled due to inclement weather), so a win over the Wildcats was a good way to start the new season.

“It was intense,” Wentzville coach Kelley Lowry said. “We didn’t know what to expect going into today without having any games under our belt and Eureka is such a tough, talented team.”

Wildcats without top player

The game should have been a matchup of two of area’s top players in Eureka senior Bailey Boulay and Wentzville senior Ella Lowry.

But Boulay, a returning All-Metro first-team selection after a 64-goal junior season, injured her knee in the Wildcats’ previous game against Marquette and will soon find out the extent of the injury and whether she can return this season.

Eureka coach Melissa Menchella fought back tears when talking about her team’s first game without the program’s all-time leading scorer.

“We’re facing a lot of adversity right now and I was just so proud of how nothing fazed them. They were focused on the moment and doing what it took to win,” Menchella said. “We have a lot of threats out there and we can score when Bailey is on the field and when Bailey is off the field. She is a four-year starter and obviously elevates any game that she’s in. But the mission is to prove we are not Bailey Boulay on our chest, we are Eureka lacrosse on our chest. We still need to and will find a way to score without her if she’s not on the field.”

Lowry, the reigning All-Metro player of the year, was looking forward to matching up with Boulay.

“Playing her, this game would have been even more fun because she’s such an amazing player,” said Lowry, the coach’s daughter. “We scout and I watched the film and saw it happen. My mouth dropped and I felt so much pain for her.”

Bunner’s big goals

Bunner scored her first goal midway through the first quarter, but it was the last two that were the most impactful.

After Ruby Copeland scored 53 seconds into the fourth quarter to give Eureka a one-goal lead, Wentzville’s Addison Holm lofted a pass high over the net to Bunner in front and she buried it to tie the game 7-7 with 7:53 to play.

“The last time we tried that, the goalie had a tip,” said Bunner, a Holt senior. “But she (Holm) had a perfect angle to get that quick stick.”

Less than two minutes later, freshman Sophia Arnone also found Bunner in front and fed her for a goal at the 6:02 mark to give Wentzville an 8-7 lead.

“To have her in her first varsity game helped a lot,” Bunner said. “The nerves were there at the beginning, but she was able to get the assist.”

Big defensive stop

The task for Wentzville then was to make the slim lead stand up.

On Eureka’s final attack in the game’s closing seconds, Copeland streaked toward the cage, but Bunner came from behind to knock the ball away and into Wentzville’s possession to help close out the victory.

“We really knew who their shooters were and where they shoot,” Bunner said. “She’s a lefty shooter, so she went to the left and we were able to put the stick to stick and make that save at the end.”

Lowry nets four goals

Lowry tallied a team-high 48 goals in just 11 games last season, and she got this year off on the right foot with four goals in the win over the Wildcats.

“I got mine pretty quick into the game and it’s nice to know we have so many shooters on this team,” the Timberland senior said. “That’s what I think stands us out compared to other teams.”

Pickens, Copeland pace Wildcats

With a gaping hole in its offensive attack because of the absence of Boulay, other Eureka players had to step up and try to fill some of the void and Copeland and senior midfielder Kylee Pickens did just that.

Copeland scored a pair of goals and Pickens did that one better with a hat trick. That duo combined for 62 goals last season.

“A lot of things run through Bailey, so today I pulled Ruby aside a lot and made her the leader of the offense. I think she did a great job of getting the ball and commanding the movement of things,” Menchella said. “And Kylee is a big senior leader for us. Her draws make a big difference, and she does a great job of directing things.”

Sanker saves the day

Wentzville senior goalie Ava Sanker also had a big night in the opener with 15 saves to help her team escape with a win.

“When you have a goalie make that many saves, she’s the real MVP,” Kelley Lowry said. “Her doing what she did in goal today really contributed to that win.”

Up next

Eureka will look to bounce back against another tough opponent when it plays at MICDS (3-0) on Monday.

“We’re experimenting with things, and we’ve been excited to test it out against a big-time opponent and Wentzville is that,” Menchella said. “These next two weeks are probably our hardest two weeks of the season. We have some phenomenal opponents this week and next week.”

Wentzville will get right back at it with a game at Parkway South (0-3) on Thursday.

“This was our first game and of course they didn’t want to lose,” Kelley Lowry said. “We’ve only lost three games in three years, so they all had this mentality of having to win this first game to set the season off with being undefeated last year. They’re very emotional because we have a lot of seniors.”