BC 15nov2014

Championship game! BC won their league (New England East) and we won our league (New England West), so this game was for awarding an automatic berth to next year's Regional Tournament. We expected BC to be good based on how well they did versus Tufts and Northeastern (we tied Tufts and lost to Northeastern).

Sunny, 0C/32F! But the field was in perfect condition. Fans included Christyn's folks and Claire's grandmother!

We spoke about making the simple close passes, and we looked sharp with Shelby getting off the first shot. But BC also had a couple good chances early in the match. They put high pressure on us, but we put good passes together just as we had in practice.

In the 21st minute, Claire made a cross that was blocked for a corner. Sophie was in just the right spot in front of the far post to control the ball and slot it into the BC net for the first goal of the game.

BC had a free kick and a shot wide in the 23rd minute and Caroline V got off a shot that was saved in the 26th minute. 

We were lucky to have Julia Dressel back in net since Hannah was not available, and she made a save in the 28th minute. BC continued to threaten and were awarded a penalty kick in the 32nd minute, evening up the score.

Three minutes later, BC was awarded a free kick from 25-30 meters out that drifted into the upper left corner of our net to put them ahead 1:2. After that. they got another free kick and a shot that Julia D saved. 

In the 42nd minute, Leah did her magic up the left side of the field and got off a shot that was blocked by the BC defense. Right after that, Julia D made another crucial save for a corner.

Rose put a free kick on target for a BC save just before the half. We spoke about getting our passes off quicker in light of the high BC pressure. We also noted that BC did not seem unbeatable. 

Claire set up Sophie for what seemed like a certain goal, but the BC goalkeeper did well to put it out for a corner taken by Christine. In the 50th minute, BC put a shot over our crossbar, then they slotted a through ball in behind our defense to put them up another goal 1:3. 

Usually teams have trouble coming back from being down two goals, but we kept working and believed we could rally. Claire got a shot off in the 53rd minute, but it sailed wide. BC had a free kick and two shots wide of our goal.

In the 60th minute, Claire's corner kick found Christyn at the far post, but her shot was just wide of the BC goal. BC got another free kick in the 64th minute.

In the 68th minute, Claire broke loose of the BC defense on the left side of the field to put a shot/cross from an acute angle in front of the BC net. The ball could have gone any direction with so many players in front of the net. It bounced off a BC player into the net to put us at 2:3. 

Leah set up Claire right after that, but her shot went wide. Christine had a free kick in the 74th minute. BC got dangerously close to scoring four minutes later when their shot hit and bounced off the upright. 

Rose made a perfectly chipped pass into the path Claire was taking to the BC goal in the 81st minute. Claire chested the ball down and one-timed it into the BC net, but the goal was disallowed due to offsides.

Julia D made another crucial save in the 82nd minute, and five minutes later Shelby had a great chance -- but her shot was saved. 

Two minutes before 'time' Claire sprang loose again in the same fashion as before, putting a dangerous ball in front of the BC net from a difficult angle. A BC player was the last one to touch it before it landed in the BC net to tie the score.

In the 90th minute, Rose almost got us the win with her shot that sailed over the BC crossbar. 

The two teams huddled and gave the ref's their decision to play two 5-minute periods of extra time, followed by penalty kicks if needed. Which ever team scored first in the extra time would be declared the sudden-victory winner.

BC got off a shot in the 92nd minute, but it was wide of our goal. In the last minute of the first 5-minute overtime period, Claire sent a pass to the far post for Shelby to collect before calmly slotting into the narrow space between the post and the BC goalkeeper. 

It was astonishing to see a team come back like that, and BC was in a state of shock -- rightfully so! What an incredible way to celebrate the seniors' last fall game and to put Regionals solidly on next fall's schedule!

GK: Julia D
CD: Lindsay+Tessa, Caroline V, Elise
OD: Annie+Christine, Rose, Julia D
CM: Shelby+Julia, Caroline V+Elise
F: Claire+Caroline G, Mel+Allison

Shots 16:18  Saves 4:4

2 Shelby shot over
7 BC shot over
8 BC shot wide
21 Claire cross blocked for a corner
    Sophie two-touch --> 1:0
23 BC free kick
     BC shot wide
26 Caroline V shot saved
28 BC shot saved
32 Tessa tackle got ball+leg
    BC pk --> 1:1
35 BC free kick into top left corner --> 1:2
41 BC free kick
    BC shot saved
42 Leah shot blocked
43 BC shot saved for a corner
45 Rose free kick saved
46 Claire cross to Sophie
     Sophie shot saved for a corner
50 BC shot over
52 BC through pass --> 1:3
53 Claire shot wide
55 BC free kick, shot wide
57 BC shot wide
60 Claire corner
     Christyn shot wide
64 BC free kick
68 Claire shot/cross BC own goal --> 2:3
73 Leah to Claire shot wide
74 Christine free kick
78 BC shot hit the upright
81 Rose chip over BC defense to Claire
    Claire chest-trap, shot into net disallowed offsides
82 BC shot saved
87 Shelby shot saved
88 Claire shot/cross BC own goal --> 3:3
90 Rose shot over

Extra time
2 BC shot wide
5 Claire pass to Shelby, slotted in near post --> 4:3