For the third straight year, ETHS Girls Soccer’s season met a brutal end at the hands of Lane Tech in the sectional semi-finals. This time, the Kits lost 4-3 on penalties after the game finished in a scoreless draw.
“[Penalty shootouts] are the most heartbreaking way to lose—there’s no two ways about it,” remarked Head Coach Stacy Salgado.
Both teams converted three out of the first five penalties, sending the shootout into sudden death. Senior Corin Viamille stepped up for the Kits, but her penalty was saved by Lane Tech senior goalkeeper Cynthia Waller. That gave her backup, sophomore Avery Beitel, a chance to win the game, but her shot clanged off the crossbar, keeping the Kits alive. Next up for the Kits was freshman Leah George, whose shot seemed destined for the left corner; however, Waller got a great push off and once again was able to push it away. This time, the Champions made no mistake with their penalty, as senior Olivia Field sent Kits junior goalkeeper Kana Wagner the wrong way to strike the knockout blow.
“Our penalties were probably not the best I’ve ever seen, and I don’t think any of the saves [Waller] made were particularly great. Even though we practiced a lot before the game, given the pressure of the situation, there’s really not a ton we could have done better,” commented Salgado.
Despite being underdogs, the Kits dominated in both regulation and extra time. They had 15 shots on target compared to the Champions’ 10. They even had a golden chance to win the game with 20 seconds left when junior Bridget Durkin turned away from Champions defender sophomore Lila Massey. She took the ball up the wing, got to the byline, and cut it back for a wide-open Maya Klein, but the sophomore blasted the ball over the bar with the last kick of the game. Twelve minutes earlier, Durkin and senior Mia Darer both had clear-cut chances but were impressively denied by Waller.
“The girls played their hearts out on both sides of the ball for the entire one hundred minutes, but unfortunately, we lacked the clinical touch today,” said Salgado.
Defensively, the Kits were disciplined and organized throughout the night. They successfully kept the ball in front of them on almost every occasion, limiting the Champions to low-percentage, long-range shots.
“I have been proud of our team’s chemistry the entire season, and I think it was on full display tonight. Our backline communicated extremely well, and that’s why they were able to stay locked in the entire game,” praised Salgado.
Though the loss stings, the Kits exit the playoffs with pride. With a much younger roster than in years past, they proved they could compete with the state’s elite. Several key contributors will return next season, forming a promising foundation.
“It was a great season. We had some great senior leadership and I’ll miss this group, but I’m excited about next year because we have such a good core of players coming back,” said Salgado.
