Lady Outlaws fall in soccer heartbreaker

The Lady Outlaws' incredible winning streak came to a heartbreaking finish when they lost 1-0 to Gladstone in the 4A state championship game on Saturday, November 19, at Liberty High School in Hillsboro.

Sisters managed to hold the tough Gladiator team at bay during regulation play to force the game into overtime knotted at 0-0.

With three minutes remaining in the first overtime, Gladstone's Brita Kintz was issued a red card and the Gladiators were forced to play down a player. Sisters was unable to capitalize on the opportunity, and the game went into a second 10-minute overtime.

With just 40 seconds left in the final overtime, Gladstone put in a shot and took a 1-0 lead. There wasn't enough time left on the clock for the Outlaws to score and Sisters, for the second straight year, finished as runner-up.

Gladstone proved to be the Outlaws' toughest competitor to date. The Gladiators only let Sisters have three shots on goal the entire contest.

Sisters' keeper Sara Small said, "We were pretty evenly matched, and our defense did an outstanding job. Zoe McAllister marked No. 19, Amber Jensen, like nobody's business. Jensen hardly touched the ball and she is Gladstone's biggest scoring threat and has scored almost half of their team's goals this season. We were so close, but just not close enough."

Coach Nik Goertzen said, "For the second year in a row we found ourselves on the biggest stage of our lives and we ended up empty-handed. It's a miserable feeling. In basketball you can call time out and have some control from the sidelines, and in soccer you can't do that. I felt completely helpless.

"We worked so hard to get to this point and we felt in our hearts it was our time. We did all the right things for so long. But during the season we just weren't put in these tough kinds of situations and I think that's the difference. You just can't afford to make a mistake, and unfortunately one little miscue on our part cost us the game," added Goertzen.

On the bright side, Goertzen told The Nugget that this team has set a benchmark for future girls' soccer teams at Sisters High School.

"We have a focus and a purpose," stated Goertzen. "Now we just have to figure out how to get over the hump and win that first championship title."

Four days earlier it was quite a different story. The Outlaws knocked off defending state champs Mazama 3-2, in a crazy, physical, state semi-final match that came down to a shootout. Last year Sisters lost to Mazama in a shootout in the championship game, so this was a sweet and satisfying win.

Coach Goertzen said, "It was the wildest, most rewarding game I have ever coached. We were in a hostile environment and up against the state champs but got absolute redemption. What a game!"

Sisters scored at the six-minute mark to take a 1-0 lead. Haley Carlson blasted a shot from 30 yards out that sailed up and over the keeper into the right upper V.

"There was no reaction from the keeper or the referee," said Goertzen. "I think they both thought the ball had gone completely over the goal. There was a moment of dead silence and then the referee finally put his hands into the air to signify a goal had been scored."

Five minutes later the Vikings countered on a miscue by the Outlaws' defense and tied the game up at 1-1.

The game was hotly contested and highly combative, with competitive play back and forth between the two highly skilled teams. Mazama got so rough that they were issued yellow cards.

Two minutes before the half the Outlaws scored amidst pandemonium in front of the goal. After a lengthy discussion with the side judge the head referee revoked the Outlaws' goal due to dangerous play in front of the goal that involved the Mazama keeper.

At the half the score remained deadlocked at 1-1.

Competitive play and highly contested shots by both teams marked play in the second half.

Mazama squeaked in a goal with three minutes left on the clock to push to a 2-1 lead. The Vikings passed a long ball to the middle and Player of the Year Kaitlyn Cromwell was there to corral it and kick it in to the far post.

The situation looked dismal for the Outlaws and it seemed as if hope was lost, but the tide quickly turned. Mazama relaxed a bit too much and Sisters picked it up several notches. With 90 seconds left in the game the Outlaws scored on a ball that deflected off the shoulder of Zoe McAllister over to Jodie Reoch. Reoch kicked a bullet that went through the line of defense and to the right of the keeper for the goal, which tied the game back up at 2-2 and held until the whistle blew and brought an end to regulation play.

"That gave us the biggest emotional roller coaster of our lives," said Goertzen. "It was a huge adrenaline rush."

Two 10-minute overtimes followed with great shots from both teams and great saves by both keepers. The game remained tied and came down to a shootout.

Goertzen told The Nugget he anticipated that Coach Angela Durrant would use the same girls in the same order as she did in last year's shootout for the state title. In preparation, Goertzen asked keeper Sara Small to review the video from that shootout and learn from it.

Goertzen added, "Mazama returned all their players to their squad and were the exact same team we faced last year, but we are a different team from last year and we had some kids Mazama hadn't seen yet."

Michelle Young missed the Outlaws' first kick and Mazama's No. 1 scorer Kylie Durrant followed with a kick that Sara Small was able to block. Freshman Trinity Chick was next with a perfect bullet to the left of the keeper, and Sisters went up 1-0. Mazama missed their second shot and Sisters held on to a slim lead.

Reoch took the Outlaws' third shot and blasted it to the left of the keeper to put Sisters up 2-0. Mazama followed with a shot that went up and over Small's head and the Vikings narrowed the lead to 2-1.

Freshman Molly Boyle stayed composed and sent a bullet to the left of the keeper, who had no chance for the save. Sisters took a 3-1 advantage.

Mazama felt the pressure and sent Player of the Year Cromwell in to shoot. Cromwell's shot went wide to the left and Small just got her finger on the ball and brushed it aside for the save. That was it for Mazama, and Sisters recorded the 3-2 win.