NORTH VERNON

In recent games, slow starts have plagued the Seymour girls soccer team.

Unfortunately for the Owls, the same issues lingered through most of their contest with Jennings County on Tuesday.

Jennings County delivered a 1-0 Hoosier Hills Conference win against Seymour on their senior night.

After 19 scoreless minutes in the first half, the Panthers scored off a set piece from near 30 yards.

Jennings freshman Baylee Byford rocketed a shot at the Owls’ Rachel Collett, bouncing off the keeper and behind her where a pair of Panthers forwards pushed the ball in from one-yard out.

The Owls struggled to maintain form, but senior Marie Lenart nearly scored with six ticks on the clock from 10 yards after beating a pair of Panthers defenders.

Out of the half, both teams battled for possession in the midfield.

In the final 15 minutes of the game, the Owls put six shots on goal but couldn’t convert.

The Owls outshot the Panthers 14-4 on the evening.

“We had the better opportunities,” Owls coach Greg Musser said of the late surge. “Their only opportunities were really on crosses that went into the side of the net. They weren’t getting much. We got sloppy in the middle and got outworked.”

Collett collected three saves in net.

“I was incredibly disappointed with how our effort was to start the game,” Musser said. “It really didn’t pick up too much in the second half until the final 15 minutes. I think we finally realized there was some urgency there.

“We’ve tried to teach them this lesson three or four times this year. Teams are putting us on our heels and it’s a disappointing result for us.”

Despite the Panthers’ strong play on defense, Musser felt the Owls still had the advantage.

“I don’t think they’re any different than anything we’ve seen,” Musser said. “Floyd Central, Silver Creek, Batesville and Providence have physical teams we’ve played. We had a lapse in our mentality, and we paid the price for it.”

On Saturday, Seymour (6-5-2, 1-2-2 HHC) will host Franklin Community.