Tied 2-2 in penalty kicks and called on to be the last of the first five selected in the nerve-racking scenario, Meggie Edwards made the long walk from centrefield to the penalty spot for the St. Michaels University School Blue Jags.
The Grade 11 student then stepped up and confidently struck her kick into the top corner to Ladysmith 49ers goalkeeper Meryssa Joyce鈥檚 right to hand the Blue Jags鈥� the eventual 1-0 victory.
After 95 minutes of scoreless play, the Blue Jags outlasted Ladysmith 3-2 in kicks to win the double-A senior girls鈥� Island soccer championship at SMUS on Tuesday afternoon.
鈥淚 usually go to the right. Usually when I shoot the other way I miss them, so you may as well stay with what鈥檚 successful,鈥� said Edwards, who exuded confidence prior to the winning kick. 鈥淚 like the situation 鈥� it鈥檚 a good adrenalin rush.鈥�
Ladysmith still had an opportunity to tie it, but the final kick slid wide.
Earlier, Blue Jags goalkeeper Anna Mollenhauer had dove to her left to make a spectacular stop to give Edwards the chance to secure the lead. It was Mollenhauer鈥檚 second save in kicks.
鈥淚 was really nervous, especially because it was such an intense game,鈥� said Mollenhauer. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 really get time to just relax. You always have to be super focused.鈥�
The Grade 11 keeper obviously guessed correctly on her final save on a perfect kick that was heading just inside her left post. Her pure athletic ability got her there in time.
鈥淚 can usually read what they鈥檙e trying to do, but that one I didn鈥檛. I just thought, 鈥楢s soon as she goes, I鈥檓 going for it.鈥� It just happened to be the right time and the right height,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 hate it when they look right at me, because I can鈥檛 tell what they鈥檙e thinking or trying to do.
鈥淭his feels really nice because it has been a lot of hard work,鈥� added Mollenhauer of the title.
It was all the product of two days of stellar play for the Blue Jags and Ladysmith, who both earn trips to the sa国际传媒 championship tournament.
鈥淚t was a great game and a great two days,鈥� said SMUS coach Nikki Kaufmann. 鈥淚 set the challenge out to see if we could play some of our best soccer and continue to build on the success that we鈥檝e had.
鈥淭his team, I don鈥檛 know what it is, but they just seem to take every challenge that I throw at them and run with it and just up the ante every time, so I鈥檓 a happy coach.
鈥淟adysmith battled right to the end. It could have been anyone鈥檚 game going into PKs and our goalie, Anna, came up huge, as she has all year for us.鈥�
Carihi edged Brentwood College 2-0 in extra time in the third-place game and now all four teams move on to provincials (hosted by Carihi) from June 2-4.
In triple-A play at Dover Bay, the Oak Bay Breakers defeated Reynolds in penalty kicks (scoring on all five opportunities) to take a 2-1 overall result in the Island championship. Sophie DeGoede had scored in regulation time for the Breakers.
鈥淭hree Island wins in a row, I鈥檓 really proud of the girls,鈥� said Oak Bay coach Brent Garraway.
The Breakers used goals from Janessa Lane and Holly Goodacre to defeat Stelly鈥檚 2-0 in semifinal play in the morning. Natalie Koehn鈥檚 goal gave Reynolds a 1-0 victory over Dover Bay in the other semifinal.
Both teams advance to provincials at South Delta on June 2-4.
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