By Ryan Osborne
MANSFIELD ? Maybe Kennedale just needed time to think about it.
The Wildcats [Lady Kats] and Mansfield Lake Ridge labored for 80 minutes of regulation with a 94-minute rain delay in between, only to finish scoreless. Then less than a minute into overtime, Alondra Olmos found an open goal for a tap-in score. {{more}}
Three minutes later, Abby Key put one in the back of the net, as Kennedale held off the Eagles for a 2-1 win in the Class 4A Region I sectionals at R.L. Anderson Stadium.
Abby Key scores first goal for the Lady Kats, photo: Staci Otts
Kennedale (20-5-1) will play the winner of Friday night?s game between Trophy Club Nelson and Birdville. [Update: Trophy Club Nelson won 5-1]
Thursday?s game was scheduled to start at 6 p.m. but was delayed to around 6:40 p.m. due to bad weather. After more than 30 minutes of play, more storms rolled into Mansfield, delaying the game for more than an hour and a half. Just before 9 p.m., the teams returned to the field with 9:28 left in the first half and the score 0-0.
They could?ve just skipped to overtime at that point. Goalkeepers for both teams ? Skylar Crowley for Kennedale and Brooke Lampe for Lake Ridge ? had answers for every shot.
Eryn Harrington had a strong shot from the right side in the 57th minute, but Crowley dove for the stop. Meanwhile, Lampe swatted and saved anything coming her way, stopping a short header and then winning a one-on-one situation with Olmos with less than 5 minutes left.
But Kennedale?s pressure finally broke through in the overtime. A cluster of Wildcats had a look on the goal before Lampe let the ball slip behind her briefly, giving Olmos a window for the go-ahead score.
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| Kenendale Lady Kats move on
to region semifinals, photo: Staci Otts |
