A scorcher at The Mill, a BARN burner...
FM gets the early pressure and the first 3 shots, but cannot get a score. At the 11th minute, S'burg catches a break: Breeden has the ball in the box, she spins to her left and lofts the ball over Salerno into the far corner...S'burg leads 1-0. FM falters for a moment, then resumes the pressure. 30th minute: Ashleigh Sheets fires a ball in the box and it deflects off a S'burg hand. EVERYBODY sees it, a red flare, US Navy signal hand ball in the box...S'burg keeper Rainer throws her hands to her head as she sees it....no call. 2nd half, 50th minute, Sheets charges into the box with the ball...WHAM and goes to the ground....no call. With 11 minutes to play, ahead in shots 11-4, Sheets lets loose a rocket from the top of the box past a leaping Rainer...tied 1-1. More pressure, bodies flying everywhere. 90 seconds to play...Macy Simpson wheels around the left corner of the box with the ball, pushes closer, gets off a shot, it loses speed as it deflects off of a S'burg defender...a second defender catches up to the ball, ewxtends her foot to try to flick it away...and pokes it into the net...own goal...Lady Jackets advance.
Credit Spartanburg for being fast, strong, skilled, well-coached in ALL facets of the game. Words cannot do this one justice.
