By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Springfield Catholic senior Peyton Wiseman was perfectly fine sacrificing some blood and dizziness for the cause.
Wiseman, the No. 2 all-time leading scorer in Catholic’s rich soccer history, had one of the most memorable goals of her four-year varsity career on Friday afternoon.
She scored the winning goal to give Catholic a 1-0 victory over Willard and its third straight district championship.
In a physical, back-and-forth match, Wiseman scored in the 73rd minute when she beat a pair of defenders and finally put one by Willard’s stingy goalkeeper, 6-foot junior Harper Floyd.
“It was a great punt from Grace (Hoerschgen), it bounced and I saw it go over (Willard’s) heads so I just wanted to keep running with it,” Wiseman said. “As soon as I saw the (Willard) goal, I just wanted to get a foot on it.
“Then I hit the ground and heard all the cheering and felt my head hurt. I got up and they said my face was bleeding. But it was worth it.”
It was Wiseman’s 20th goal this season and No. 102 for her career.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
Catholic coach Mackenzie Serrano said it was a quintessential play for the Louisiana Tech signee.
“You can’t teach a player to have heart,” Serrano said. “(Wiseman) goes into every game and gives everything she has. She’s very passionate and determined. I love that about her.”
Friday’s Class 3 District 6 title match was goalless for the first 80 minutes, thanks in large part to the play of Floyd and Willard’s backline.
Floyd had noteworthy saves throughout the match, including midway through the second half when she recovered and sprinted back to an empty net to swat away a would-be goal on Wiseman’s header. Floyd set a school record this season with 17 shutouts.
“From our angle, we thought it was already in,” said Willard coach Jamie Waddell. “It’s also a tribute to our defense. Our defense played well this season.”
Catholic (14-5-1 overall) has only been shutout in two matches this season: 1-0 to Nixa on March 25 and 1-0 to Bentonville (Ark.) West four days later.
Wiseman admitted nerves increased a bit when the team went to halftime tied 0-0 with Willard.
“Yes, but I feel like in the first half we kind of controlled (the game). We got some really good opportunities, just weren’t able to finish,” Wiseman said. “(Willard) did have some scary looks a couple of times, but our defenders were able to step in and stop them. We came out confident that we could get a goal in the second half.”
Said Serrano: “Sometimes, it’s not going to come right away. But you can’t let that get you frustrated. You just have to be patient and know it’s going to come. That was our big thing – keep our head together even though we’re missing shots. Can we keep our composure and still keep going?”
The play of Springfield Catholic’s midfield, led by senior Campbell Morgan, gave Catholic the edge in possession and total shots – particularly in the second half.
“Campbell helped us keep our composure and built us up from the midfield,” Serrano said. “She’s always just a dog in the midfield.”
Willard still had its fair share of goal opportunities in the match, most of them coming from all-time leading scorer and senior Katelyn Magee.
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO OF THE GAME
The loss snapped Willard’s 18-game winning streak and was the first time the Lady Tigers conceded a goal since beating Glendale 2-1 in overtime on April 22.
“Our kids fought. They fought hard, I can’t fault them for that,” Waddell said. “(Wiseman) got the breakaway, two defenders on her, and she just fought through the two defenders and was able to put one on in.
“I knew we had a good shot at this. Our kids were believing with the way we were playing. Nobody likes to lose, but if you’re going to lose, we’re going to lose to a team that deserves it and Catholic certainly does.”
Catholic and first-year starting goalkeeper Grace Hoerschgen now have 11 shutouts on the season.
The Lady Irish will try to get over an elusive hurdle when they play on the road in the Class 3 quarterfinals next Saturday, May 31. While the Lady Irish have won six district titles since the 2018 season, they’ve yet to reach the final four in that span.
The last two years, Catholic suffered heartbreaking quarterfinal losses in overtime and penalty kicks.
“Sometimes when you get late in the season, it gets busy. It’s about keeping our minds, especially with seniors graduating and everything going on,” Serrano said. “With our style of play, I think we’re doing well and building upon it.”
Willard finishes 21-5-1 overall, which sets a program record for most wins in one season. Five seniors will graduate, including varsity stalwarts Magee and Kenadie Limb.
Magee, a Seminole State College (Okla.) signee, leaves as Willard’s leader in career goals (168) and single-season goals (54, set this season). She also recorded 16 assists this spring.
