Pictured, Gibault’s Hannah Stearns and Waterloo’s Emma Novack battle for the ball during Saturday’s rivalry soccer showdown. (John Spytek photo)

The Waterloo and Gibault girls soccer teams renewed their cross-town rivalry Saturday morning, battling it out on Easter weekend.

Sydney Luedeman scored both goals for the Bulldogs in the 2-0 victory. Her second goal, with less than two minutes remaining in the first half, proved to be too much for Gibault to overcome.

The ‘Dogs scored both goals with the wind at their backs and were only able to muster one shot in the second half. 

Waterloo goalkeeper Bailey Bosler made three saves for the shutout.

A young Gibault squad showed composure and poise and maintained a solid effort the entire game.

The win was a nice bounce back effort for the Bulldogs following last Monday’s defeat at the hands of cross-county rival Columbia. 

Waterloo fed off the winning momentum gained Saturday in a 4-0 blasting of Freeburg on Monday.

Luedeman,  Lauren Kennedy, Sydney Stephens and Paige Kinzinger each scored goals in Monday’s win. Bosler made two saves for the shutout.

Waterloo is led on offense once again this season by senior Luedeman, who has nine goals and three assists. Stephens is next with six goals and six assists, followed by Kinzinger with four goals and an assist.

The Bulldogs will host Mascoutah on Thursday before traveling to Civic Memorial on Monday in Mississippi Valley Conference action.

Columbia just continues to win, taking an 8-1 record into action this week.

The Eagles posted a 3-2 victory over a tough Collinsville squad last Wednesday, as goalkeeper Rylee Iorio made five saves for her third shutout of the season. 

Haley Glover, Fae Harrell and Reagan Mauch each scored goals for Columbia. 

Columbia has outscored its opponents 36-8 so far this season.

The Eagles hosted Breese Central on Tuesday and will play at Wesclin on Thursday, weather permitting, before hosting a showdown with Quincy Notre Dame at 3 p.m. Saturday. The game will be a rematch of last year’s supersectional contest won by Notre Dame, 1-0.

For the season, Kennedy Jones leads Columbia in scoring with 16 goals and six assists, followed by Mauch (six goals, five assists), Chloe Graff (three goals, seven assists) and Harrell (four goals, four assists).

A young Gibault squad is still trying to get into the win column at 0-5. The Hawks have scored just two goals all season against some very tough competition.

Gibault will look to pick up victories at Mater Dei on Thursday and against Nerinx Hall, Parkway South and Cor Jesu in a tourney this weekend at St. Joseph’s in St. Louis.