Wednesday, May 23, 2001
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Wednesday, May 23, 2001 |
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Soccer season ends for Lady Chiefs in finals By MICHAEL
BOYLAN
It wasn't supposed to end like this, but it did. McIntosh's Lady Chiefs, the top ranked soccer team in AAAAA, fell to Pope in overtime on Saturday in the finals, 3-2. The Lady Chiefs struck first when Tabitha Lowey scored nine minutes into the game. Julie Herdic played the ball up and Lowey beat the Pope defender with her speed and slipped the ball past the oncoming goalkeeper. Pope had a number of good scoring opportunities in the first half, many coming off transitions, but they did not culminate in a goal thanks to the McIntosh defense and great saves from keeper Megan Bernard. The Lady Chiefs went into the half up 1-0. The second half started and McIntosh put lots of pressure on in the first few minutes. Herdic had a scoring opportunity 13 minutes into the second half but got her legs tangled up with the Pope goalie. Less than three minutes later, Pope tied the game on a shot where the forward looked like she was going to fall down, rather than put a ball in the right corner of the net. McIntosh answered two minutes later when Herdic beat the Pope defender with her speed and put the ball in the lower left corner of the net. Herdic finished her high school career with 210 goals, fourth highest in U.S. history. Pope didn't quit. They put tons of pressure on the McIntosh defense and had several good shots. They broke through with 15 minutes left. McIntosh was attempting to clear the ball out of the area and Pope volleyed it to the back of the net. The final 15 minutes of regulaton were intense. McIntosh began to dominate the flow of play again but could not capitalize. The Lady Chiefs had sevral corner kicks that were snatched out of the air by the Pope goalie. The two teams entered the overtime periods tied at two goals a piece. In the high school soccer playoffs, the two 10 minute overtimes are played in full. Pope scored off a corner kick five minutes into the first overtime and had McIntosh playing frantically for the final 15 minutes. The Lady Chiefs dominated much of the play in the overtime periods, but could not break through. In the end, they came up one goal short. "We had a tremendous run to the state final this season and obviously, the result was not what we were hoping for," said Coach Stephen Buckner. "Losing is an unfamiliar experience for these girls, but you have to accept it when you're in the competitive arena." The Lady Chiefs had a great season, finishing the season with an overall record of 21-2. They did not allow a goal in the playoffs until the second half of the final, they won their fifth consecutive region championship, they faced top teams from all-around the country at the adidas Challenge Cup and went undefeated, and they had fun together as a team. The Lady Chiefs scored 175 goals this season, sixth highest for a high school team in U.S. history, while allowing only 12. They recorded 15 shutouts, including four in the postseason. McIntosh only graduates three players from this year's squad; Herdic, Keri Pendergrass and Lauren Kopec. The team will also welcome several incoming freshman that currently play with a successful Lazers team. It wasn't the result they were hoping for, but the Lady Chiefs will battle to make it back to the finals to claim a championship.
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