Penalty kicks decide outcome in NCHSAA Women's 4-A Soccer Championship
June 1, 2009 North Carolina
RALEIGH - It went down to a series of penalty kicks as Raleigh Leesville Road slipped past Charlotte Ardrey Kell 1-0 on Saturday night in a battle of unbeaten teams in the 24th annual North Carolina High School Athletic Association's women's 4-A soccer championship at Paul Derr Stadium at N.C. State.
The teams battled through 80 minutes of regulation play, 20 minutes of overtime and then 10 minutes of sudden death overtime before going to penalty kicks.
The defensive battle saw Leesville take 12 shots on goal to only three official shots for Ardrey Kell, and Kell had no corner kicks to four for Leesville. Ironically, Leesville keeper Erika Lenns was not credited with a save during the 110 minutes of action but made three huge ones in the penalty kicks to earn Most Valuable Player honors.
The Pride converted all three of its kicks in the session, with Nicole Jewell, Stephanie Bronson and Nitang Jones all finding the back of the net. Kell, which went first in the kicks, missed its first two and then Nicole Steyl tallied. But when Lenns made the stop on Liska Dobberstein's attempt, the fourth for Ardrey Kell, that preserved the win for the Pride and the celebration began.
Leesville, a young team with only two senior starters, posted a 22-0-3 mark. Kell, in only its third year of existence, finished the season 21-1-1. Neither team even allowed a goal in its five playoff games prior to the championship.
The Raleigh Sports Consortium serves as the primary host city partner for the women's soccer championship, along with the Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau. Wendy's is the presenting sponsor for the NCHSAA sports program.
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
2009 STATE 4-A WOMEN'S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP
Paul Derr Stadium, North Carolina State University
OT OT OT OT PK
Raleigh Leesville Road 0 0 0 0 0 0 1-- 1
Charlotte Ardrey Kell 0 0 0 0 0 0 0-- 0
SCORING
Leesville Road defeated Ardrey Kell 3-1 in penalty kicks. |
NATIONAL
NORTH CAROLINA
