BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS
Sports Editor, RTC
ARGOS –- In a game and a rivalry in which little separates the teams, the No. 8 Westview girls soccer team relied on unerring penalty kick shooting to edge No. 5 Argos 2-1 at Eugene Snyder Field in a Class 1A regional semifinal on Oct. 13.
The game was tied 1-1 after 80 minutes of regulation and two seven-minute overtime periods.
Westview then outscored Argos 5-4 in penalty kicks.
Senior Elaine Troyer scored the clincher on Westview’s fifth penalty kick, beating Argos goalkeeper Lizzy Edmonds.
Kadyn Baughman scored Argos’ lone goal in regulation with 20:19 left off an Emma Dunlap assist.
Dunlap sent a pass towards the back of the 18-yard box, and Baughman’s one-touch shot short-hopped and squirted by Westview goalkeeper Madison Hooley.
Westview’s only goal in regulation also came on a penalty kick when freshman Bri Munoz, who led the Lady Warriors in goals, scored her 30th of the season with 9:42 left in regulation.
Argos’ best chance to score after Munoz’s equalizer might have occurred with just over five minutes left in the first overtime.
Bella Stults fed Lilly Hines, who led Argos in goals with 25, after Aryanna Allen helped support a loose ball near midfield.
Hines sent forward a dipping 16-yard shot that Hooley covered.
Edmonds had one save in the first overtime and two saves in the second overtime.
Argos fifth-year coach Joe Stone said he liked the number of offensive opportunities his team had, adding that they had “wide-open looks.”
Putting the ball in the back of the net was more of the issue.
“Our finishing was not so strong,” Stone said. “For some reason, we struggled the last seven, eight games of the season at finishing. We were scoring four or five goals at the beginning of the season against (Class) 2A and 3A schools. And then come against the 1A schools … those were all 1A teams that we should be playing better against, and we weren’t. It is what it is. It’s why I’m preparing for next year.”
During the shootout, Hines and Munoz converted in round one.
Cailey Markley then missed for Argos, and Westview’s Karly Miller – not to be confused with Argos’ Carleigh Miller – made hers.
Dunlap, Allen and Lauren McGlothin all made their PKs for Argos, but Westview’s Paige Riegsecker, Morgan Riegsecker and Troyer matched Argos kick for kick.
Argos finished 15-3-2. Westview improved to 15-2-4 and will play Andrean next in the regional final. Andrean defeated Trinity Greenlawn 3-0 in the other semifinal.
Argos and Westview had played to a 2-2 tie during their regular season meeting on Sept. 24.
“In my opinion, Westview just wanted it a little more than what we did tonight,” Argos coach Joe Stone said. “They played very hard. They played very well. The first time we played them, it was a 2-2 game, but we pretty much dominated. We only gave up three shots.
“Tonight we gave up a lot more shots. We played a little scared – more defensive. But the girls held on. They played strong. And once we did finally score, all of a sudden the girls (said), ‘Oh, we can win this game.’ And then we picked it up and started pushing it down their throat. It did come to PKs, but I’m proud of the girls. They just played so hard. Westview deserved to win it just as much as we did.”
McGlothin also received praise for her defense on Munoz. Munoz came in with 29 goals, and she scored both Westview goals in the Sept. 24 game at Argos.
“I had Lauren McGlothin marking her, and she did a wonderful job,” Stone said. “She did better than I thought she was going to. I thought she was going to need a break because she hadn’t played a full game yet this season. And tonight, she did. I thought she did a wonderful job. And I thought we kept Munoz out.”
The game marked the final prep soccer game for seniors Edmonds, Hannah Trump, Sophia Bollenbacher, Carleigh Miller, Allison Zahm, Kelly Snavely and Carly Ellis.
Trump was a co-captain. Edmonds was in goal for 94 percent of the minutes played. Zahm and Bollenbacher were key defenders. The team listed 10 freshmen and sophomores on their postseason roster.
Stone also coaches the travel team Argos FC. Players from that organization often feed into the Argos varsity. The Lady Dragons beat Bremen, Culver and LaVille by a combined score of 13-1 last week to win their fourth consecutive sectional title.
“We just need a little growing up to do, but it’s OK,” Stone said. “We’ll get there.”
Andrean 1, Westview 0 (OT, Saturday)
Westview lost to Andrean in a Class 1A regional final on their home field Saturday.
Andrean will play Tipton at 11 a.m. this Saturday at South Bend St. Joe in the semistate.
Watch Regional Semi-Final Game Here:
Comments