By BRAD KEITH
TheFlashToday.com
STEPHENVILLE (March 7, 2017) — Madison Wyly kept No. 3 Abilene Wylie scoreless with a leaping save in the final two minutes and other stops throughout the match, then Alyssa Northcutt completed the upset victory by Stephenville with two saves and two Wylie misses in a shootout that went seven kicks.
The Honeybees rushed the pitch in celebration on their senior night at Lem Brock Field Tuesday, a moment after the final PK of the shootout missed wide right for Wylie. The Bees won the shootout, 4-3, after the perennial powers and 3-4A district frontrunners fought to a scoreless draw at full time.
:The most impressive save in the battle of 4A soccer titans came when Wylie was awarded a free kick that was put high above Stephenville keeper Wyly, who made the leaping save with 1:20 on the clock, preserving the scoreless draw.
But it was Northcutt who Stephenville coach Casey Weil turned to in the shootout.
“(Wyly) made an unbeliveable save at the end of regulation there, and it’s nothing against her. I said before the game, if we go to another shootout we may try Northcutt just for something different to try and catch them off guard,” Weil said. “Last time we were in a shootout with them they didn’t miss anything, and tonight they missed a bunch, so something worked.”
Wylie had already secured the No. 1 playoff seed from 3-4A and can lock up the outright district championship with a win over Mineral Wells Friday. Stephenville is assured of the No. 2 seed and visits Brownwood in its regular season finale at 5 p.m. Friday.
Wylie won 2-1 in Stephenville in the first of three loops through 3-4A, then edged the Honeybees in a shootout in Abilene in their second match.
“Each game, as young as we are, we just have to keep getting better. By no means are we perfect, but we are a very good team,” Weil said. “That’s the number three team in the state, and we lost to them the first time, then we lost to them in penalty kicks the next time, so we got better there, and now we finally got over the hump. Throughout the game, they had opportunities, but if you know soccer and watch the game, I truly thought we were the better team and kept possession throughout most the game. We just have to keep getting better with our youngsters and keep having our seniors lead and we’ll be fine.”
Wylie had a couple chances early in the first half, and Stephenville one late in the opening 40 minutes, but to no avail. It was the same story in the second half, with Stephenville maintaining possession the majority of the time, but Wylie earning the best chance late in the half on the free kick that forced Wyly to make her final – and most impressive – save of the night.
Northcutt came off the bench cold, but went right to work in the shootout, making a pair of diving saves to help produce the upset victory.
Meanwhile, Stephenville’s shooters delivered on four of their seven PKs, beginning with Claire Choate scoring on the shootout opener, Beatris Chvarria – who marked Wylie star Randi Dennison throughout regulation – making it 2-1, Alexis De Los Santos providing a 3-2 advantage and Hayleigh Beam going low and right for the winner moments after Wylie missed high with a shot to win.
After its trip to Brownwood, Stephenville will move on to state playoff action and will be facing the third-place finisher from 4-4A. As 3-4A champ, Wylie will get the fourth-place playoff qualifier from 4-4A.
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