Morgan holds off Cromwell to claim Shoreline championship

CLINTON — The clock stopped with 7 seconds left. The Morgan girls soccer team had to withstand one last corner kick by Cromwell to claim the Shoreline Conference championship.

The ball came into the box and bounced around before a shot was taken. Then the save was made — by field player Alyssa Smith with her chest.

The clock expired and the Huskies began the celebration as top-seeded Morgan edged No. 3 Cromwell 2-1 Saturday afternoon at the Indian River Complex.

“The corner came in and it bounced off three people,” Smith said. “And then it hit off my keeper’s hands and it was going into the back of the net. I was in the middle of the net and it hit off my chest. … I knew when the ball came in they didn’t have much time and the buzzer would go off soon. Once it went off my chest and everyone started celebrating, I was like, ‘OK, time must be done.’”

This is the first Shoreline title for the Huskies (14-1-3) since 2003.

“It means a lot. It means everything,” Morgan coach Steve Sullivan said. “We’ve talked about changing the culture and understanding that you can work your tail off and still have fun and these kids know how to do that.”

Carley Schmidt scored the go-ahead goal with 10:33 left in regulation after a through ball was deflected to her. Cromwell goalkeeper Jessica DellaRatta came out on the play, leaving a wideopen net for Schmidt.

Then Morgan had to survive the final 10 minutes.

“They deserved to win. They are a great team,” Cromwell coach Marcelo Caetano said. “The better team won today.”

Morgan struck first less than 8 minutes into the contest. Alyssa LeMay took it down the right side of the field, cut in near the net, fired and scored past Jessica DellaRatta.

“Shutting down Lemay is hard and she is so fast,” Caetano said. “Then you put her on turf (the Indian River Complex is a turf surface). It’s so hard to mark her. If you can’t mark her, it will be a hard day for you.”.

The Panthers (14-3-2) kept pressing after Morgan’s goal and final got the equalizer with 2:16 left before halftime. Olivia Belcourt scored off of Erika Person’s long assist.

Cromwell kept the pressure on Morgan’s defense to start the second half as well.

Morgan’s only loss this season came at the hands of the Panthers, 4-2 on the road.

“These kids have a lot of heart and soul and that’s quite often is what helps us get through,” Sullivan said. “For so many years, we’d lose in the semis of the Shoreline (tournament) and the quarters of the state (tournament). We are striving to (do better than that). Everything for us is a big step forward.”