By Kris Drake of www.skagitvalley radio.com
It took a pair of overtimes, plus a pair of shootout rounds to determine a winner to advance to Saturday’s 1B/2B girls’ soccer championship game.
It took the Viking goalkeeper, Lara Bronn, to kick a chipshot to the left side in the second round of the shootout overtime for the Orcas Island Vikings to reach the championship game in what resulted in a 2-1 slugfest between these Northwest B League rivals in the semifinals at Sunset Chev Stadiumm in Sumner Friday afternoon.
Orcas Island will advance to Saturday’s 1B/2B championship match between the winner of the Napavine/Seattle Lutheran match.
Of five players from both teams set up for their shootout free kicks, three players from each side scored goals, forcing a second round. The first Viking, Bronn, chipped high and left for her goal. La Conner sent Emily Bruland to tie, but her attempt was directly at Bronn, who made the save for the win.
A 28-yard free kick by La Conner’s Sydney Hartwick in the first overtime period sailed straight at the crossbar with 27 seconds remaining in the first overtime, but was tipped over the goal by Orcas Island’s keeper, Lara Bronn, for the save.
In regulation, La Conner’s goal came as Sydney Hartwick gathered the ball along the right sidelines and arched an 18-yarder off her right foot that bent left, past Orcas Island’s keeper, Lana Bronn, for the Braves’ first goal to tie the score, 1-1, in the 49th minute of play.
The first goal of the game came on Orcas Island’s Alison O’Toole’s 10-yarder into the left side of La Conner’s in the 5th minute.
La Conner’s offensive attack managed more shots-on-goal (13) to Orcas Island’s pressure (4) in regulation time.
The Brave’s goalie, Kelly Gilkey, made a two-handed save smack between the sideposts to keep the score 1-0 at the 29th minute. It was only the Vikings’ second shot-on-goal.
Gilkey made two saves for La Conner, while Orcas’ keeper, Lara Bronn stopped seven.
La Conner had eight chances to take the lead with corner-kick opportunites, with one bouncing in front of the Orcas goal untouched. The Vikings played the entire game without taking a corner kick.
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