Mid-season games don’t get much better than that.
In a matchup between two of the area’s marquee teams, Springfield Catholic prevailed 2-1 (PK) over rival Logan-Rogersville on Tuesday night to secure a milestone win for the program.
Freshman Addie Killinger’s header in the 74th minute tied the match and denied Logan-Rogersville its first win over the Lady Irish in 14 years.
After two, 10-minute overtime sessions couldn’t settle it, Catholic won in penalty kicks (4-2) behind the play of another freshman: goalkeeper Mya Marte.
“What a crazy outcome,” said Catholic coach Mackenzie Serrano. “The girls are excited and (the coaches) are excited. But we still have a lot of focus on this season.”
The victory is No. 500 all-time for Catholic, which began playing girls’ soccer in 1998. Since then, the Lady Irish have grown into the area’s most decorated program.
“We’ve been looking forward to it,” said Catholic junior Izzy Hoerschgen, a centerback and co-captain. “We haven’t been focusing on it very much because we just want the wins. But it’s so special for this (game) to be our 500th win.”
The Lady Irish were staring defeat in the eyes on Tuesday night after Logan-Rogersville junior Maya Coyan put the Lady Wildcats (9-3 overall) ahead 1-0 in the 72nd minute. Coyan, a reserve, pounced on a rebound opportunity following a shot from Logan-Rogersville’s Maddie Lou Shuburte.
Behind a phenomenal performance from sophomore goalkeeper Ellie Wray and an active backline, the Lady Wildcats kept Catholic off the scoreboard until the waning minutes of regulation. Catholic entered Tuesday’s match with a +37 goal differential on the season.
Catholic’s 1-0 deficit was brief. The Lady Irish (11-2 overall) netted the equalizer a few minutes later when Claire Majorahn’s corner kick found Killinger, who put it through with a header.
“Just to see the ball come at you, you want to get a goal for your team,” Killinger said. “Especially when you’re down. Just put everything on it.”
The play of both young goalkeepers kept the match close. Late in the first half, Marte turned away Shuburte on a 1-v-1 to keep the match scoreless.
Hoerschgen drew the primary defensive duties on her club teammate and Logan-Rogersville’s record-setting scorer, Shuburte.
“We definitely had a little (text) banter back and forth (before the game). It was good to see her again,” Hoerschgen said. “We had really good communication with our backline.”
In the final seconds of double overtime, it was Wray’s turn for a game-saving stop. She stonewalled Majorahn on a 1-v-1 to prevent the rarest of plays: A buzzer-beating golden goal.
After winning in PKs, Catholic celebrated mid-field with a team rendition of the hit song “Mr. Brightside.”
The Lady Irish are young – they start six freshmen – but certainly not shy. Dancing and singing is a common sight between players before and after the game.
“Your team culture is so important,” Serrano said. “We talked about that at the beginning of the season: Creating that culture where everyone is comfortable and can get along.
“They’ve spent a lot of time together outside of soccer doing a lot of team bonding. It’s really helped to continue having that strong culture that is so important to our success.”
Said Killinger, one of the six starting freshmen: “We have a great dynamic as a team. We all like each other – we love each other. It’s a family.
“If you can have fun and energy, it translates to the field.”
One staple of Catholic soccer amid 500 wins has been the coaching staff.
Ben Timson was the team’s first head coach and held that position for over two decades. He stayed on staff as an assistant coach when Serrano, a former Catholic player, moved to the helm last season.
Timson’s wife, Kathy, is also the team’s statistician and record keeper.
The Lady Irish remain the only area team to have won a state championship in girls’ soccer – they won back-to-back in 2010 and 2011. Catholic has made 11 final fours overall.
“I just think back to the very first win we had, back in 1998 when we started the program, and how far things have come,” Timson said.
With Catholic joining Logan-Rogersville’s Class 2 district pod this year, the Lady Irish and Lady Wildcats could meet again next month with a district championship on the line.
