Thomas Loses State Final On Overtime PK
By: Thad Brown
Updated: November 19, 2012
The worst part was that Brenna Mason was probably doing the right thing.
The Webster Thomas goalkeeper charged out near the top of the box to clear the ball off Kelsay Davis' foot as the Washingtonville attacker tried to set a game winning goal.
Mason may or may not have caught a piece of the ball first. She certainly caught quite a bit of Davis, flipping her upside down.
The ref said no ball, and the call resulted in a penalty which essentially gave Washingtonville a state title.
Alana O'Neill converted the penalty in the first minute of sudden death OT as the Wizards won the Class AA State Final 1-0 at SUNY Cortland Sunday afternoon.
It was the 101st minute of play between the two best teams in New York State.
The Titans didn't like the call, but understood that's how things go in soccer sometimes.
"It was what it was," said Thomas Head Coach Scott Brown. "But not many people even thought we'd be here. I think the girls showed a lot of character and a lot of heart."
Neither had many quality chances in the first half. Only a pair of dangerous long free kicks from O'Neill threatened the goal line.
Play picked up in the second half, with Mason being the more tested of the keepers. She answered every charge and in overtime she answered in spectacular fashion.
O'Neill gained possession and ripped a 20-yarder towards the upper right corner. However, the shot almost immediately hit a leg and ricocheted back toward the center. Mason, caught wrong-footed, somehow contorted her body back in front of the ball and crumpled on top of it just in front of the goal line. Players and coaches on both teams thought the shot was going in.
The Titans may have been out of gas. Webster played a scoreless tie and advanced on penalty kicks the day before in a game that started at 5pm. Sunday's game began at 2pm, meaning the Titans played 211 minutes in 23 hours.
Thomas finished the season 15-5-2.
The Webster Thomas goalkeeper charged out near the top of the box to clear the ball off Kelsay Davis' foot as the Washingtonville attacker tried to set a game winning goal.
Mason may or may not have caught a piece of the ball first. She certainly caught quite a bit of Davis, flipping her upside down.
The ref said no ball, and the call resulted in a penalty which essentially gave Washingtonville a state title.
Alana O'Neill converted the penalty in the first minute of sudden death OT as the Wizards won the Class AA State Final 1-0 at SUNY Cortland Sunday afternoon.
It was the 101st minute of play between the two best teams in New York State.
The Titans didn't like the call, but understood that's how things go in soccer sometimes.
"It was what it was," said Thomas Head Coach Scott Brown. "But not many people even thought we'd be here. I think the girls showed a lot of character and a lot of heart."
Neither had many quality chances in the first half. Only a pair of dangerous long free kicks from O'Neill threatened the goal line.
Play picked up in the second half, with Mason being the more tested of the keepers. She answered every charge and in overtime she answered in spectacular fashion.
O'Neill gained possession and ripped a 20-yarder towards the upper right corner. However, the shot almost immediately hit a leg and ricocheted back toward the center. Mason, caught wrong-footed, somehow contorted her body back in front of the ball and crumpled on top of it just in front of the goal line. Players and coaches on both teams thought the shot was going in.
The Titans may have been out of gas. Webster played a scoreless tie and advanced on penalty kicks the day before in a game that started at 5pm. Sunday's game began at 2pm, meaning the Titans played 211 minutes in 23 hours.
Thomas finished the season 15-5-2.
