Notre Dame soccer team works overtime for district title

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- Miranda Fowler had heard it countless times from her coaches, so it almost came naturally.

"The coaches are always talking about making sure we follow the shot until the goalie has it securely in her hands," the Notre Dame junior said. "I knew I was there ready just in case. I knew it probably wasn't going to happen, but then it came up and I was like, ‘Yes.'"

A deflection off Farmington goalkeeper Elizabeth Kahn landed at Fowler's feet, and she coolly knocked the ball into the far side of the net as Kahn helplessly watched on the ground to win the Class 2 District 1 girls soccer championship 1-0 in overtime Thursday.

"I was just like, ‘Oh, I'm open right in front of the goal,' so I just kind of shot it because I knew I was pretty close and she was on the ground, so just place it in the corner," Fowler said. "It was pretty much right to me. It couldn't have been more perfect."

A huge smile flashed across Fowler's face as she ran to celebrate and hug her teammates around the 10-yard line after scoring the title-clinching goal.

"Oh my goodness, it was awesome," Notre Dame sophomore Halle Lynch said. "It felt so great. Just the greatest feeling ever."

Taylor Rinda helped set up the winning goal. She chased down a ball that looked destined to cross the end line, but she managed to get to it and feed it toward the middle.

"It was almost out," Rinda said. "I saw Mollie [Pleimann] trying to make a split run through their two defenders, so I knew if I saved it and played it through, which is exactly what happened, that when Mollie crossed it in, someone hopefully would be there to finish it. Thankfully Miranda was right where she's supposed to be."

Notre Dame's Abby Boyer, right, chases a ball as Farmington's Caitlynn Friend and keeper Elizabeth Kahn collide during Thursday's Class 2 District 1 title game in Farmington, Mo. (ADAM VOGLER)

Rinda's cross hit off Kahn and ricocheted right to Fowler, and she didn't miss.

"It's amazing," Fowler said. "Not so much for myself, but the whole team. We've worked so hard, and it's just a great feeling to know that we've accomplished this goal."

It was a fitting end after Notre Dame dominated play in overtime. The Bulldogs (12-7) pelted Hahn in the first 15-minute overtime session. Abby Boyer sent in a high shot that Hahn knocked down and corralled just 1 minute, 30 seconds in. Then Sarah Lawrence's sinking shot forced Hahn to her knees for a save less than two minutes later. Fowler also sent in a low shot that Hahn had to go down to catch. Notre Dame also was whistled for two offsides, which negated quality scoring chances, in the overtime period.

"They were just more patient with the ball than they had been there the rest of the time," Farmington coach Rusty Sancegraw said about the Bulldogs' multiple chances in overtime. "More patient and spreading the ball out. They're always a good possession team. They just wanted the ball and played the ball around a little bit better than we did."

Fowler finally ended it 5:57 into the extra period.

Notre Dame created the majority of the quality scoring chances in regulation but couldn't beat Hahn. It looked like Notre Dame had taken the lead with 24:47 left in the first half after Farmington's Tanner Lynn tripped Boyer in the box. The Bulldogs were awarded a penalty kick, which senior Brianne Sanders converted by sending a low shot into the left corner. But the Bulldogs were ruled to have entered the circle before Sanders' attempt, so she had to try again.

Sanders decided to go to the right in the redo, but her shot sailed wide.

Notre Dame continued to apply pressure in the second half, but the Knights failed to bend.

"You always start to get frustrated because you want it so bad, but you just have to work through it," Rinda said. "One of our main things this year is being able to be mentally strong as well as physically and push through that. You just have to tell yourself to keep going and it will happen if you're persistent."

Notre Dame coach Jeff Worley preached the importance of avoiding frustration at the inability to convert the scoring chances. He said he sensed some frustration as the game wore on.

"A little anxious, and you have to fight that," he said. "If they get that frustrated, they start doing unusual things, and suddenly you get out of shape and bad things can happen then. At the break there going to overtime, we talked about collecting ourselves, taking care of our responsibilities and the better opportunities would come with that."

Fowler said the Bulldogs blocked out any memories of last season's district tournament as the game wore on, especially when Thursday's game went to overtime. The Knights defeated the Bulldogs on penalty kicks in the district semifinals last year.

"We didn't want it to be a reoccurrence from last year," she said. "We wanted to get it done as quickly as possible."

One of the reasons for Notre Dame's victory was the Bulldogs' ability to limit the touches by Farmington standout Taylor Sancegraw. The sophomore scored 58 goals this season, but she found little room to operate Thursday.

"It was we want to have someone within distance of her so she didn't get clean receptions," Worley said. "As much as we could deny the ball from her in front, we wanted to do that. Then we wanted to have good depth in behind. So if we ended up with an extra player going to help, we still wanted to have help depth in behind all the time."

Notre Dame's Hali Rendleman heads the ball away from the Bulldogs' goal during Thursday's Class 2 District 1 title game.

Sancegraw's frustration boiled over late in the second half when she picked up a yellow card.

"It kind of helped our energy more too because as they get more frustrated, it helps us," Lynch said.

The Bulldogs advanced to Tuesday's sectional at De Soto, a 1-0 winner over Hillsboro on Thursday.

Farmington ended its season with a 16-7 record.