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5.0 years ago @ 7:39AM

Alton, West tie 1-1 in SWC OT thriller - The Telegraph - 5/11/2018

GIRLS PREP SOCCER: Alton, West tie 1-1 in SWC OT thriller

Upstart AHS finishessecond in SWC race

Pete Hayes, phayes@thetelegraph.com

 

Published 10:23 pm, Thursday, May 10, 2018
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BELLEVILLE — The Alton Redbirds girls soccer team was, oh, so close to its first Southwestern Conference championship.

A first-half goal by Alaina Nasello put the Redbirds in the driver’s seat, but Belleville West rallied to tie the game, sending it to sudden-death overtime. Thanks to a late save penalty kick save by freshman goalie Addison Miller, the score remained 1-1 Thursday night at Belleville West. There were no penalty kicks.

With the tie, Belleville East won the SWC championship with 11 points and Alton was second with 10 points. A victory would have meant the Redbirds’ first SWC crown.

“It wasn’t that many years ago that just getting a win in the conference was a preseason goal for us,” Alton coach Jeff Hayes said. “I’m proud of the way our girls fought through things. Getting second in this league is no small thing.”

East, which lost to Collinsville Thursday night, finished 3-1-2 in the SWC, while Alton finished 3-2-1. Edwardsville and Collinsville, which each to Alton during the season, also finished 3-2-1 in the league but are behind the Redbirds because of head-to-head results.

SWC standings are determined on a points basis with three points for a win and one point for a tie.

“We finished ahead of some excellent soccer programs,” Hayes said. “That says a lot about our group of girls.”

Alton, which finished the regular season 10-6-2 overall, had early pressure on the Maroons and it paid off. In the fifth minute, Brianna Hatfield sent a crossing pass from the left side and Nasello was in front of West goalie Bailey Redden to head it into the goal from about six yards.

Alton had more first-half pressure and came close to a 2-0 lead when a Nasello shot was just wide after she received a pass from Katie Kercher in the 33rd minute.

The second half was a different story. West assumed control or possession time, but managed just one goal.

It came when SEMO recruit Taylor Mathenia took the ball down left wing, then crossed it on the ground about 10 yards from the end line to Sydney Valerius, who made a near-post run and scored inside the left post in the 56th minute to make it 1-1.

That was still the score when West was awarded a penalty kick with two minutes remaining in the second overtime. But Mathenia’s PK was stopped by Miller, who dived to her right to make the save.

“We were so close to winning this conference,” Hayes said, “and that’s something we can be proud of. But we have the regional ahead of us and our girls still think they have something left to prove, if only to themselves.”

GIRLS PREP SOCCER: Alton, West tie 1-1 in SWC OT thriller

Upstart AHS finishessecond in SWC race

Pete Hayes, phayes@thetelegraph.com

 

Published 10:23 pm, Thursday, May 10, 2018
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  •  

BELLEVILLE — The Alton Redbirds girls soccer team was, oh, so close to its first Southwestern Conference championship.

A first-half goal by Alaina Nasello put the Redbirds in the driver’s seat, but Belleville West rallied to tie the game, sending it to sudden-death overtime. Thanks to a late save penalty kick save by freshman goalie Addison Miller, the score remained 1-1 Thursday night at Belleville West. There were no penalty kicks.

With the tie, Belleville East won the SWC championship with 11 points and Alton was second with 10 points. A victory would have meant the Redbirds’ first SWC crown.

“It wasn’t that many years ago that just getting a win in the conference was a preseason goal for us,” Alton coach Jeff Hayes said. “I’m proud of the way our girls fought through things. Getting second in this league is no small thing.”

East, which lost to Collinsville Thursday night, finished 3-1-2 in the SWC, while Alton finished 3-2-1. Edwardsville and Collinsville, which each to Alton during the season, also finished 3-2-1 in the league but are behind the Redbirds because of head-to-head results.

SWC standings are determined on a points basis with three points for a win and one point for a tie.

“We finished ahead of some excellent soccer programs,” Hayes said. “That says a lot about our group of girls.”

Alton, which finished the regular season 10-6-2 overall, had early pressure on the Maroons and it paid off. In the fifth minute, Brianna Hatfield sent a crossing pass from the left side and Nasello was in front of West goalie Bailey Redden to head it into the goal from about six yards.

Alton had more first-half pressure and came close to a 2-0 lead when a Nasello shot was just wide after she received a pass from Katie Kercher in the 33rd minute.

The second half was a different story. West assumed control or possession time, but managed just one goal.

It came when SEMO recruit Taylor Mathenia took the ball down left wing, then crossed it on the ground about 10 yards from the end line to Sydney Valerius, who made a near-post run and scored inside the left post in the 56th minute to make it 1-1.

That was still the score when West was awarded a penalty kick with two minutes remaining in the second overtime. But Mathenia’s PK was stopped by Miller, who dived to her right to make the save.

“We were so close to winning this conference,” Hayes said, “and that’s something we can be proud of. But we have the regional ahead of us and our girls still think they have something left to prove, if only to themselves.”

GIRLS PREP SOCCER: Alton, West tie 1-1 in SWC OT thriller

Upstart AHS finishessecond in SWC race

Pete Hayes, phayes@thetelegraph.com

 

Published 10:23 pm, Thursday, May 10, 2018
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

BELLEVILLE — The Alton Redbirds girls soccer team was, oh, so close to its first Southwestern Conference championship.

A first-half goal by Alaina Nasello put the Redbirds in the driver’s seat, but Belleville West rallied to tie the game, sending it to sudden-death overtime. Thanks to a late save penalty kick save by freshman goalie Addison Miller, the score remained 1-1 Thursday night at Belleville West. There were no penalty kicks.

With the tie, Belleville East won the SWC championship with 11 points and Alton was second with 10 points. A victory would have meant the Redbirds’ first SWC crown.

“It wasn’t that many years ago that just getting a win in the conference was a preseason goal for us,” Alton coach Jeff Hayes said. “I’m proud of the way our girls fought through things. Getting second in this league is no small thing.”

East, which lost to Collinsville Thursday night, finished 3-1-2 in the SWC, while Alton finished 3-2-1. Edwardsville and Collinsville, which each to Alton during the season, also finished 3-2-1 in the league but are behind the Redbirds because of head-to-head results.

SWC standings are determined on a points basis with three points for a win and one point for a tie.

“We finished ahead of some excellent soccer programs,” Hayes said. “That says a lot about our group of girls.”

Alton, which finished the regular season 10-6-2 overall, had early pressure on the Maroons and it paid off. In the fifth minute, Brianna Hatfield sent a crossing pass from the left side and Nasello was in front of West goalie Bailey Redden to head it into the goal from about six yards.

Alton had more first-half pressure and came close to a 2-0 lead when a Nasello shot was just wide after she received a pass from Katie Kercher in the 33rd minute.

The second half was a different story. West assumed control or possession time, but managed just one goal.

It came when SEMO recruit Taylor Mathenia took the ball down left wing, then crossed it on the ground about 10 yards from the end line to Sydney Valerius, who made a near-post run and scored inside the left post in the 56th minute to make it 1-1.

That was still the score when West was awarded a penalty kick with two minutes remaining in the second overtime. But Mathenia’s PK was stopped by Miller, who dived to her right to make the save.

“We were so close to winning this conference,” Hayes said, “and that’s something we can be proud of. But we have the regional ahead of us and our girls still think they have something left to prove, if only to themselves.”


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