The Fulton Hornets soccer team made a huge statement with a signature victory.
Senior midfielder Kevin Wallace accounted for the match's only goal and Fulton's defense stymied Southern Boone on Tuesday night as the Hornets knocked off the top-ranked Eagles in a 1-0 triumph.
Fulton (8-9-1) also handed Southern Boone (19-2) - ranked No. 1 in Class 2 by the Missouri Soccer Coaches Association - its first home loss since 2009.
"I've been telling the guys all year that if they play as a team, they can play with anybody," Hornets head coach Brad Oestreich said. "This just proves what I've been telling them.
"I was really proud of how they came together tonight."
After a scoreless first half, Wallace took a pass from senior forward Austin Wilson and ripped a shot past the Eagles' goalkeeper in the 19th minute of the second half.
"I got a good touch on the ball and was able to block out my defender, and then it was just me and the goalie," Wallace said. "I was just freaking out (when the shot went in).
"This feels fantastic; I'm just so excited for the entire team."
Senior goalkeeper Craig Latty turned away all seven shots he faced to earn the shutout for Fulton.
"It was extremely nerve-wracking all of the time," Latty said. "But I was very confident in our defensive line and they stepped up, and I stepped up when needed."
It didn't matter that the Hornets were outshot 7-3 and had no corner kicks, while Southern Boone finished with six.
"They may have had a few more opportunities than we did, but we were evenly matched and played with them the whole night," Oestreich said.
Fulton (0-12) dropped the junior varsity match 2-0.
The Hornets return home for a North Central Missouri Conference match against Kirksville at 5 p.m. Thursday.