Sophomore goalkeeper Emma Carricato made three crucial diving saves in a penalty shootout to help Catawba Ridge earn an emotional 1-1 (4-3 PKs) win over crosstown rival Nation Ford at The Pit in Fort Mill.
Nation Ford led 3-1 on penalties midway through the shootout, but Carricato pulled off back-to-back saves against Harper Tumblin and Reagan Nelson. Meanwhile, Catawba Ridge’s Mack Schwartz, Lacey Lees, and Emma Giangrasso all scored their shots to overtake the Falcons and pull off the come-from-behind win. Julia Kaplan wrapped things up for the Copperheads with the final penalty kick.
The Copperheads had already overcome a Nation Ford lead earlier in regulation as Schwartz scored a 75th minute equalizer to answer Ava Bogacki’s opening goal just a minute prior.
Two five-minute overtime periods passed, and the teams were forced to settle the game from spot-kicks.
Catawba Ridge head coach Joe Dority praised his goalkeeper following the game, and said it was a shame that one team had to lose in such a tight matchup.
“She does stuff that I can’t coach,” Dority said. “That’s all God-given talent right there. That’s all in her. She’s phenomenal in the PKs. Unfortunately, someone had to lose. I think (Nation Ford) played a great game, we played a great game, and you need a winner and a loser.”
With the win, Catawba Ridge improves to 10-1-1 on the season, including a 3-1 Region 3-5A record. Nation Ford falls to 7-2, 3-1 in region.
Catawba Ridge enjoyed the lion’s share of scoring chances in the first half. Junior forward Cici Gardner dispossessed a Nation Ford defender on the edge of the Falcons’ box in the 7th minute, but Nation Ford goalkeeper Abby Makwinski collected the ensuing shot easily.
Kaplan broke free of her marker on the right wing, forcing Makwinski into a diving save just a few minutes later.
Freshman forward Isabella Moore had Nation Ford’s best chance of the half when the ball fell kindly to her at the top of the Copperheads’ penalty area in the 20th minute, but Carricato did well to dive to her right and save the shot.
Seven minutes later, junior midfielder Julia Wansack played an intriguing chip to the far post for Kaplan, but Kaplan’s one-time shot flew past the bar and out of bounds.
Nation Ford finally broke the deadlock in the 74th minute when Bogacki ran onto a loose pass and beat Carricato with a low, right-footed effort to give the Falcons the lead.
But Catawba Ridge answered just a minute later when Mack Schwartz controlled a high ball, then hit a hard shot that deflected off a Nation Ford defender and into the net past Makwinski, forcing two five-minute overtime periods.
“It was a game of momentum,” Dority said. “(A Nation Ford) player went down just before our goal. We were able to reset, bring them over to the sidelines, have a little talk, get their heads right, and they went right after it. We were fortunate to come out with the win tonight.”
Bogacki, Natalię Bachner, and Annie Newton all scored for Nation Ford in the shootout.
Nation Ford head coach Chris Carrieri said both teams were very well-coached, and that he was proud that his team matched Catawba Ridge’s intensity.
“When you go to pens, it’s anybody’s game,” he said. “We’ll see them again. It was unfortunate, but it was an extremely exciting game to be a part of, and I’m happy to do it. Just two teams, a hard-fought war, and then when it’s all over you hug and shake hands, until next time.”
Both teams return to their Region 3-5A schedules on Friday, March 27. Catawba Ridge next plays at Rock Hill, while Nation Ford hosts Clover.
