By Rob Potter
ELDRED — October 16, 2007 — After 80 minutes of intense soccer action on Friday afternoon, the Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association (OCIAA) Division VI soccer match between the visiting Roscoe Lady Blue Devils and the Eldred Lady Yellowjackets was tied at 1-1.
Each team then scored a goal in the first 10-minute overtime period.
But despite their best efforts, neither the Lady Blue Devils nor the Lady Yellowjackets could put the ball into the back of the goal net in the second 10-minute OT session. As a result, the teams had to settle for a hard-fought, 2-2 tie.
Although the match ended in a tie, Roscoe (1-12-1, 0-3-1 Division VI) held a 1-0 advantage for a majority of the contest. Agnes Piatek gave the Lady Blue Devils that lead with a high floating shot to the right corner of the goal cage with 16:47 remaining in the first half. Amanda Huggins assisted Piatek on the goal.
Eldred’s Christina Watts evened the score at 1-1 with 6:28 left in the second half. Watts gained control of the ball in the Roscoe half of the field and beat a couple of defenders in the goal box. She then kicked the ball just past Lady Blue Devil goalie Kasse Brock, who quickly dove to the turf in an effort to stop the ball.
Eldred (1-12-2, 1-3-2 Division VI) took a 2-1 lead at 3:46 of the first OT. After Sam Alessandra was tripped in the goal box, teammate Meg Hazen scored on the subsequent penalty shot. Hazen kicked the ball low and towards the corner of the net. Brock dove and got her hands on the ball for a split second, but it bounced off her hands and sailed into the net.
Roscoe’s Kiera Browne tied the score at 2-2 with 1:06 remaining in the first OT. From near the top of the goal box, Browne sent a high, floating shot toward the goal cage. The ball flew just under the crossbar and out of the reach of Lady Yellowjacket goalie Jill Harris.
“This was a great soccer match,” Roscoe Coach Amanda Davis said. “Both teams gave it their all and played really hard.
“We had the lead for quite a while, but Eldred’s a great team and they tied it up late in regulation,” Davis added. “The match was so close and competitive because Roscoe and Eldred are such rivals.”
Eldred outshot Roscoe 19-15, but the Lady Blue Devils held a 5-3 edge in corner kicks.
Brock made 15 saves, while Harris had 11 saves.
Eldred Coach Jolene Porter noted that this was only the third game in the goal cage for Harris, who is substituting for the injured Rachel Smith.
“Jill did a good job in the goal,” Porter said.
Porter also praised the other Lady Yellowjackets for their performance.
“We wanted to take away their midfield attack and we were able to do that,” she said. “My team played hard the entire match. That’s the great thing about my group, they just don’t quit.”