Words: Michael Moore

On Tuesday, Nov. 5, the Centennial girls’ soccer team took on the River Hill Hawks for the regional championship.

The game started and went scoreless for over 20 minutes, but a nice play by Reese Western gave the Eagles a one-goal lead with about 16 minutes left in the first half. However, River Hill scored late in the half to tie the game at 1-1 going into halftime.

In the second half, both teams played strong, and good defense and goalkeeping by senior Lindsay Davis kept the score tied. Senior Ruthie Lucas, junior Anna Mitchell, and sophomores Megan Oliver and Western led the offensive attack for the Eagles. The Eagles had opportunities to take the lead, but nice saves by the River Hill goalkeeper and a shot that hit the post kept the game tied. At the end of the half, two great defensive stands by the Eagles forced the game into overtime.

The first overtime went back and forth; both teams had good possessions and opportunities to score, but were unable to find the back of the net. After 10 minutes of play with no score, the game advanced into a second overtime period, which is sudden victory.

Less than three minutes into overtime, the Hawks won the game on a shot to the top of the goal. Although the loss is disappointing, the Eagles had an impressive season, finishing with a record of 10-2-2.