Lady Lions fall in overtime heartbreaker
March 6, 2011

By David Claybourn
Herald-Banner Sports Editor

North Lamar won the overtime battle on a very windy and chilly Saturday but the District 19-4A soccer was still isn't over for the Greenville Lady Lions.

The Lady Lions, who lost a 2-1 shootout with North Lamar in overtime, can still lock up the top spot in district with a home victory on Tuesday over Princeton.

North Lamar moved into a tie in district points with the Lions at 17 following its shootout victory in a thriller on "Pack the Stands" day at T.A. "Cotton" Ford Stadium. The two teams battled to a 1-1 standoff in regulation before heading to the shootout.

North Lamar took advantage of a wind gusting up to 34 mph to score in the first half on an unassisted goal by Cindy Rangel with 22:27 left before halftime.

The Lady Lions had the big wind at their backs for the second half and peppered the goal with shots but couldn't get the ball past North Lamar goalkeeper Shelby Sansom, who made a series of diving stops on shots by Lady Lions Lindsey Carter, Bailey Phillips and Katelynn Twilley. Sansom also turned back a couple of shots in the first half by Greenville's Meg Lawson.

It looked like Greenville was going to lose this one 1-0 but the Lady Lions got a big break with 50 seconds remaining when a North Lamar player was called for a foul in the goalkeeper's box.

Twilley, who has signed a letter of intent with Troy (Ala.), then drilled the penalty kick past Sansom into the left corner of the net, earning joyous hugs from her teammates.

Greenville's coach Ryan Dunlevy inserted Brandy Gray at goalkeeper in place of Ellen Robins so Gray would be eligible for the shootout. North Lamar couldn't score in the final 50 seconds and the game went to the shootout, which pits a shooter one on one against the goalkeeper starting from 35 yards. The shooter has five seconds to try to score.

Gray, who was unscored upon in 11 previous shootout shots, saved North Lamar's first shootout attempt by Kara Erickson.

But Morgan Flippen and Marisca Escabedo scored for North Lamar on their next two shootout attempts. Lauren Stephens and Rangel couldn't convert on North Lamar's final two attempts.

Stephanie Luna scored for the Lady Lions on their second shootout attempt.

Phillips' shootout shot was a little too high for the net. Sansom saved shots by Lindsey Carter and Twilley. Julia Hernandez, the final shooter, sent her try wide right.

Greenville, which had an overwhelming 28-4 advantage in shots on goal, dropped to 14-4 for the season and 6-1 in district play.

North Lamar improved to 16-5-2 and 5-1-1.

Greenville has the edge over the Pantherettes should the two teams tie for the district championship by virtue of a 3-1 victory at North Lamar on Feb. 14. The first tiebreaker used is head-to-head play.

Dunlevy said he was proud of the Lady Lions.

"It took an entire team effort," he said. "We weren't at full strength. We had a starter sick and had a starter out of town and we still found a way to be competitive. I'm really proud of my seniors. My seniors stepped up."

The Lady Lions will honor those seniors on senior night when they entertain Princeton. The Lady Lions also have a non-district game scheduled on Friday at Anna, which is playing most of the 19-4A teams in a home-and-away series since district member Commerce did not field a girls team this season.

North Lamar took the junior varsity match, 1-0.

Some of the teams and players from the Greater Hunt County Soccer Association were recognized at halftime as they ran onto the field. GHCSA officials had hoped that the young players could run through the Greenville Lions' inflatable mascot tunnel but had to give up that plan because the high winds made the inflatable mascot uncontrollable.

Those winds also knocked over one of the two new covered benches for the teams on the sidelines.