Unity Christian goes down to wire for 3rd state title

Mary Nance makes the game-winning goal in sudden death.

It took overtime, penalty kicks and a sudden death penalty to get there, but the Unity Christian girls’ soccer team captured its third consecutive state title on Saturday defeating Peachtree Academy, 1-0.

The long-awaited moment of glory finally arrived when junior Mary Nance stepped to the spot and made her shot to secure the title for the Lady Lions, sending players and fans into a frenzy at the conclusion of the

GICAA Division II-A state championship game.

The Lady Lions capped their 8-2-1 season with the kind of drama befitting two terrific teams at MOBA Soccer Academy in Peachtree Contributed

The Unity Christian girls’ soccer team poses for pictures after winning its third-straight GICAA state championship Saturday.

City. Peachtree Academy reached the state championship for the first time and played a tight defensive struggle with 3 shots on goal, and a fourth which ricocheted off the post of the goal with just seconds left on the clock in overtime.

Unity senior goalkeeper Chanceley Book turned away a first-round penalty kick attempt by Peachtree, with freshman Maggie Eddins and Book making their kicks to send the game to a sudden death penalty.

“We’ve practiced these penalty kick shoot-outs all week anticipating that it might get to this type of ending,” Unity coach Ryan Okubo said. “I looked over at Mary right before the sudden death kick and said, ‘You’re next.’ Mary stepped up to the plate big time and took a great shot. But it was a total team effort all the way from the back to the front of our team.”