Lady Indians win thriller to stay unbeaten in region
Ƈ Armuchee outlasts Pepperell in back-andforth affair to set up chance for region title later this week
The Armuchee Lady Indians are still unbeaten in 7-A Division I play and in line to play for a region title later this week, but they had to work extremely hard to stay on track for that on Monday at Pepperell.
Armuchee outlasted the Lady Dragons in a back-andforth thriller to earn a 5-4 win in Lindale in a game that featured four ties and five lead changes.
After the teams traded leads and momentum swings for the entirety of the contest, it was an impressive goal from
Brinley Dixon from around 35 yards out that narrowly sailed over the Pepperell keeper’s outstretched hands and into the back of the net in the 74th minute that proved to be the game-winner for Armuchee (7-2, 6-0 in 7-A Division I).
“We didn’t really know what
to expect coming into this game because we haven’t really looked forward to much this season other than the game in front of us that day. Our girls have been steady and consistent all year and focused on one game at a time,” said Armuchee head coach Chase
Watterson. “Credit to Pepperell. They played a great game, and Aidyn (Hurst) is a great, dynamic player that can do a lot of things that most players can’t do. She had three of their goals and really made the other one happen too.
“But our girls have shown incredible discipline and focus in region play and have really been dogged in sticking to the task, and they really did that tonight. They had to overcome some adversity and be extremely resilient tonight. I’m just so proud of them. That was a crazy game, but even though my heart might be beating fast and I’m really worked up inside, I try to stay calm on the outside because I know that most teams reflect the way their coach is during the game. Our girls stayed calm and kept playing, and it paid off for them with a win.”
Pepperell (6-7, 3-4) dealt the opening blow on Monday with Hurst sending a goal over the Armuchee keeper’s head off an assist from Sarah Harris to make it 1-0 in the sixth minute.
But Armuchee responded with the first of several equalizers on the evening with Addyson Ayers getting free behind the Lady Dragons defense and beating the keeper for a goal to make it 1-1. Ayers once again scored in the 19th minute to put the Lady Indians ahead.
It appeared Armuchee would take a lead into the half, but Hurst had other plans, striking for her second goal of the night in the 39th minute to make it 2-2, which would be the score at the break.
Pepperell took the lead early in the second half as a penalty kick awarded for a foul in the box was converted by Hurst as she completed the hat trick and made it 3-2 in favor of the Lady Dragons.
But Armuchee had the answer once again as a Pepperell handball in the box resulted in a penalty kick that Liliana Tapia buried in the top left corner to tie it at 3-3. A few minutes later Tapia had another huge goal to put the Lady Indians ahead 4-3 as she sent one in off a free kick from just outside the box.
Pepperell wasn’t going down without a fight, however, and after a run by Hurst that resulted
in a shot off the keeper that created a rebound, Jenna Grace Johnson collected the loose ball and deposited it into the back of the net to tie the game at 4-4.
That sequence set up Dixon’s final goal in the 74th minute, which she shot from the middle of heavy traffic and into the back of the net for the dramatic game-winner.
Despite both teams having strong offensive nights, both goalkeepers made some impressive saves between the pipes. Armuchee’s Emily Hernandez had six saves in the contest while Pepperell’s Morgan Langley had nine, including several that kept Armuchee from pushing the lead to more than one goal.
Armuchee’s victory sets up a showdown against Darlington on Friday at Model High at 5 p.m. with the winner securing the region title and a No. 1 seed for the upcoming Class A Division I State Playoffs.
“Our girls so deserve this chance,” said Watterson. “It is such a great group of girls and a very balanced squad. We’ve got some great senior captains that are our leaders, and we’ve got four really good freshmen that have come in and made a big difference too. Everyone on our team just has great energy and really just all do what they are asked to help make the team better. I really couldn’t have hoped for a better group this year as a coach, and I’m excited for them to get to play for a region title.”
The hard-fought loss ends the season for Pepperell.