The Myers Park Lady Mustangs, ranked #11 in North Carolina 4A, visited Bob Jones stadium last night to take on the Lady Jackets of Fort Mill. The first half finished scoreless, with Myers Park wasting one quality chance when a Lady Mustang forward sent an absolute sitter from six yards out over the crossbar.
The second half contained more quality end to end action and Myers Park struck first in the 46th minute when the Lady Mustang's Morgan Corbett finished off a short cross from in tight, nicely tucking the ball between the Fort Mill keeper and the near post. In the 70th minute, Fort Mill earned their only corner kick of the night and Ashleigh Sheets buried Chelsea Peterson's service into the back of the net to make the game even.
Fort Mill had one more opportunity to win the game in regulation. With less than five minutes remaining, Danielle Schmitt deftly lifted the ball over a Myers Park defender and ran around her for a left-footed half volley that she pushed just wide.
Myers Park was surprised to be looking at OT in a regular season match but they lined up and played through the first five minutes scoreless and then switched ends. In the second OT, Sheets wove her way through the left side of the Myers Park defense, muscled-off a defender and drew the keeper to the near post. Sheets sent a beautiful square pass across the box to Nicole Bainbridge who knocked it into the open goal, sending the Fort Mill faithful into short-lived euphoria.
Myers Park immediately grabbed the ball out of the back of the net and lined up for the kick off. Through perseverence and hard work, the Lady Mustangs earned a corner kick with just over a minute to play. Myers Park's Kelly Kerns spun her corner kick over a packed goal box and into the net to miraculously draw the game even.
For the third time this season, Fort Mill failed from the penalty spot and Myers Park was awarded the victory 2-2 (4-3 PK's).
It was real nice to see a great game in York County. The folks down in the low country are fortunate to witness great regular season matches between teams like Wa-WA-JI-HH-S'ville. We don't get that many up here and it was great to see. Myers Park played very well and earned the win.
Fort Mill is now 14-3, with all three losses decided by penalty kicks. Fort Mill has now yielded 3 goals to the opposition in 17 matches. Last night was the first time Fort Mill has dropped a game at home in over two years. The last team to beat the Lady Jackets in Bob Jones stadium was South Mecklenburg HS on March 15, 2004 (5-3). The last South Carolina HS team to beat Fort Mill at home was Spring Valley on March 28, 2003 (1-0).
