Last-second goal saves PHS season

2021-10-08 - By RON Haramia Sports Writer

PLYMOUTH — The IHSAA Class 2A Sectional 19 girls soccer championship pairing is set. Plymouth stunned No. 17 and defending sectional champ Culver Girls Academy, 2-1, in overtime in the first semifinal Thursday at the Kindt Soccerplex and fourth-ranked Mishawaka Marian took out Glenn, 4-0, in the nightcap. The championship game is slated for 7 p.m.

Plymouth 2, CGA 1 (OT)

These two met exactly one week ago with CGA coming out on top of that one, 3-1, and for 79 minutes 53 seconds controlled the sectional tilt, but Aubrey Vervynckt’s goal with seven seconds remaining sent the game to overtime and Lexi Rose’s penalty kick in the 88th minute ended up being the game winner.

“That’s a huge win,” said Plymouth head coach Josh Martin. “We get to keep playing. Our kids left everything on the field.”

CGA outshot Plymouth 11-1 in the first half, but the game was still scoreless heading to intermission. The Lady Eagles didn’t waste much time in the second half though, with Alexa Labella finding the back of the net just one minute after the break off a nice pass from Brighton Bird. The Lady Rockies had a few more looks at goal in the second half, with Amber Schraymeyer’s boot off the post in the 44th minute and Rose’s header that went just over the goal with about eight minutes left in regulation the best attempts.

“I thought we looked dangerous on our corner kicks,” continued Martin. “I thought Lexi’s header was going to be our moment. There weren’t a lot of moments where we were going to score, but we stuck with it and buckled down.”

With 5:35 left in regulation though, CGA nearly had a second goal when Bird poked the ball past Plymouth’s keeper who had come way out of the box, but Rilynn Ames made a beautiful sliding save in front of the goal to keep the score 1-0.

“That was awesome,” Martin said of Ames’ play. “The game would have been over if she wouldn’t have gotten that.”

And then there was Vervynckt’s game-saving goal 5:28 later. With the seconds ticking down on Plymouth’s season, Rose sent a long through ball that Vervynckt gathered, set up, and blasted the ball past CGA keeper Isabel Herrera.

“Lexi is so good at holding defenders off and giving herself a minute to find that pass,” Martin said of the sequence. “Our passes were coming in short all night. We wanted to go over the top. Lexi did and Aubrey, she doesn’t look fast, but she’ll battle, she’ll muscle. She’s a great finisher. She got a good first touch and floated it over the keeper. That was an all-star goal and puts us right back in the game.”

The first seven-minute overtime session came and went,

then 50 seconds into the second, CGA was whistled for a foul in the box, giving Plymouth the penalty kick opportunity.

“I thought Aubrey was going to take the PK, but she must have been dinged up then and Lexi stepped up big time,” Martin said. “I wasn’t nervous about it. I knew she would bury it. It doesn’t matter what team you are, when you give up a goal that late, you lose the momentum. We just talked about riding that momentum - get in the box, get another corner, get a free kick, or just get behind them and we did.”

Marian 4, Glenn 0

This game was also a rematch. The Lady Knights defeated the Lady Falcons, 2-0, a little over a month ago. This time Marian scored twice in each half and cruised to the 4-0 win to end the Falcons’ fine season. Mia Garatoni had a hat-trick for Marian.

• PLYMOUTH 2, CGA 1 (OT)

At Plymouth

Sectional 19 semifinal

CGA - Alexa Labella (Brighton Bird) 41st min

P - Aubrey Vervynckt (Lexi Rose) 80th min

P - Rose penalty kick 88th min Shots: Plymouth 9, CGA 23 Saves: Plymouth 11 (Josalyn

Hollar), CGA 3 (Isabel Herrera) Fouls: Plymouth 7, CGA 11 Corner kicks: Plymouth 5, CGA 5 Yellow cards: Plymouth none, CGA 2 (Bird, Magee)

Records: Plymouth 7-8-2, CGA 6-6 (final)

•MISHAWAKA MARIAN 4, GLENN 0

At Plymouth Sectional 19 semifinal

M - Mia Garatoni 20th min

M - Garatoni 26th min