It was the ultimate girls soccer matchup Tuesday afternoon on Thomas Field at the North Cross campus. Eastern Mennonite, ranked #1 and North Cross, ranked #2 squared off in a battle of girls soccer unbeatens. Eastern Mennonite entered the game 10-0-1, having given up only one goal all season. North Cross came in at a perfect 9-0.
After an exciting 80 minutes of regulation and two 5-minute overtimes, little was settled as the two squads ended the marathon knotted at one. No further shootout kicks follow a regular-season tie.
North Cross had some early chances in the first half before the Flames finally offered some offensive pressure that kept the ball at their end of the field midway through the half.
Eastern Mennonite broke through with the first goal 35 minutes in when a perfect crossing pass to the right side was buried from 25-yards out into the top of the goal by Rebekkah Hertzler. The Flames took the 1-0 lead to the halftime break.
North Cross picked up the pressure at both ends to start the second half, a key factor noted from Raider head coach James Brown. “We had a couple chances early that we couldn’t finish,” Brown noted. “Giving up a second goal would have been a killer at that point, no question about that.”
The Raider offensive pressure paid off in the 29th minute of the second half when senior Ragan Comer netted the equalizer.
With 8:34 showing on the scoreboard clock, an unusual time adjustment was made by the head referee, indicating that the clock had not been operated properly, and the time remaining was reduced to 3:00. Neither team made a serious threat in the remainder of regulation.
Eastern Mennonite had the best opportunity in the second overtime when a kick from the right side bounced dangerously in front of the Raider net before it was finally cleared and the final seconds expired.
“It was a classic matchup between two very good teams,” Flames head coach Jason Capps said afterward. “We didn’t play our best and mistakes in the second half cost us the game. This is a small field and it gave us trouble.”
“Two evenly matched teams,” Brown added.”For some time it’s been us and them- I expect us to meet them again in the playoffs.”
BILL TURNER game story/photos
