M-CHS rallied back from two-goal deficit to force extra time; season ends in 3A opening round
M-CHS sophomore Jordyn Erautt winds up to strike a pass in a playoff match against Wellington at Panther Stadium on Thursday evening. (Erika Alvero/Special to The Journal)
CORTEZ – When M-CHS senior Camryn Oliver powered home a perfectly placed corner kick to tie the match with six minutes left in regulation, Panther Stadium erupted as their home-standing orange-and-black had all the momentum and their sights set on finishing their playoff comeback.
However, just as the No. 9 seeded Panthers continued to control all phases of the game into the overtime session, No. 24 Wellington came up with an interception against the run of play, and Eagles senior Anna Grace Schultz scored from the top of the box to send Wellington to a stunning 4-3 overtime win in the opening round of the 3A state playoffs.
Schultz scored all four goals for the visitors, propelling Wellington into the round of 16 to face Delta on Saturday.
M-CHS sophomore Emilynn Hill battles for the ball in a playoff match against Wellington at Panther Stadium on Thursday evening. (Erika Alvero/Special to The Journal)
Oliver’s first career varsity goal punctuated a dominant second half for the Panthers (12-4), who flipped a switch after falling behind 3-1 in the 46th minute. M-CHS pummeled the visitors with dominant possession, struck the goal frame on two separate occasions, and had countless close calls on set pieces.
Sophomore Kyndall Schmitt ignited the rally in the 65th minute with a nifty cutback to shed her defender inside the box, then beat Eagles goalkeeper Seneca Wall to her near post to bring the Panthers within one. The Panthers nearly leveled the match twice in the following two minutes, including a shot that cannoned off Wall’s post.
Then, with time winding down, the Panthers earned another corner kick, and Oliver lashed it home from the six-yard box. The overtime session continued with one-way traffic, and it appeared inevitable that the Panthers would find the golden goal, before Schultz changed the script for the final time.
M-CHS senior Camryn Oliver brings the ball upfield in a playoff match against Wellington at Panther Stadium on Thursday evening. Erika Alvero/Special to The Journal
M-CHS sophomore Kyndall Schmitt works through contact to gain possession in a playoff match against Wellington at Panther Stadium on Thursday evening. Erika Alvero/Special to The Journal
M-CHS sophomore Amani Lobato dribbles away from her defender in a playoff match against Wellington at Panther Stadium on Thursday evening. Erika Alvero/Special to The Journal
M-CHS junior Emma Pipkin races against an Eagles player for a loose ball in a playoff match against Wellington at Panther Stadium on Thursday evening. Erika Alvero/Special to The Journal
M-CHS freshman Merolidth Avila (middle) looks to corral the ball in a playoff match against Wellington at Panther Stadium on Thursday evening. Erika Alvero/Special to The Journal
The Eagles struck first three minutes into the match, with Schultz collecting a ball in the corner of the box, then lofting an unstoppable shot into the upper corner. M-CHS had a chance to level in the ninth minute, but Wall saved a Panthers penalty kick.
M-CHS got their deserved equalizer in the 24th minute on a driving run on the wing from sophomore Emilynn Hill, who fired a laser across the face of the goal from the right side of the box past Wall and into the left corner.
However, three minutes later, the visitors were back in front as Schultz pounced on a loose ball in the box and put Wellington up 2-1. Six minutes into the second half, Schultz completed her hat trick with a goal from 25 yards away.
From then on, the Panthers seldom allowed Wellington on to their attacking side of midfield while M-CHS edged closer in their comeback.
M-CHS wrapped up another tremendous season, setting a high-water mark with 12 victories, while adding the program’s third league title in the past five years. The Panthers bring back virtually their entire roster as the program continues to cement itself as one of the best in the 3A classification.
