Finishing chances on goal when they arise is “imperative” in Class 5A soccer, Nation Ford head coach Christopher Dundr said after the Falcons fell in the playoffs.
That’s why an earlier-than-expected postseason exit is a hard pill to swallow for Dundr and his 20-win Lady Falcons.
Nation Ford’s girls’ soccer team fell to Riverside 1-0 in two overtimes in the quarterfinals of the 5A Division II state playoffs, with Warriors’ freshman midfielder Hannah Liu nodding home the decisive goal in the second minute of the first 10-minute overtime period.
Dundr said he had “so much pride” in his team’s record-breaking year: A 20-win season. A first region title.
But he said he regretted that the team didn’t capitalize on “three or four really good opportunities that we didn’t put on frame.”
“I don’t know if today was our best,” he said. “When you’re in the playoffs, in the quarterfinals, it’s always a tossup. I’m crushed for them. It should hurt, because we’ve been good all year. It’ll take a few days for them. It’ll take a few days for me. But there’s a lot to be proud of. It’s not the way we wanted to go out, but I’m so proud of this team.”
With the win, Riverside will play Eastside in the Upper State final.
Dundr said he’ll take away plenty of positives from the season, which included an undefeated 12-0 Region 3-5A record and a first-round playoff bye. He said he was looking forward to helping his team recover and strengthen in the offseason and using a successful season as a springboard for future success.
“We’ll add on what we did well and keep piling on top of it,” he said. “Every year is tough, our region is a nightmare. But we’re in a really good place. This is a really good group coming back. There’s no reason we can’t have as much success next year as we did this year.”
Both Nation Ford and Riverside enjoyed strong chances to start the first half.
Nation Ford’s Eberlee Bolduc was played into space in the fifth minute, beating Riverside goalkeeper Alicia Skoog to a loose ball, but the senior’s lofted shot cleared the crossbar.
Midfielder Emma Workman inspired several Riverside chances in the first half, with the sophomore pinging incisive balls through the midfield or smacking long-range shots at Nation Ford senior goalkeeper Sara McCaskill.
Riverside’s Charlotte Bozarth flashed a shot from the left wing that skimmed across McCaskill’s goalmouth in the 11th minute. The senior followed that chance up with a 30-yard rocket from the top corner of the Falcons’ penalty area, but the Nation Ford keeper was equal to it.
Sophomore Ava Bogacki had likely the best chance of the half in the 24th minute for Nation Ford. Bogacki found herself in space from 25 yards out at the corner of the Riverside box and smacked a hard shot that forced Skoog into a reaction save, barely tipping the ball onto her own crossbar and quickly collecting the rebound.
Riverside ratcheted up the tempo in the second half, earning a bevy of chances. Senior Lily Ziemer nearly ended up on the end of a cross from Piper Grubs in the 50th minute, but the Catawba Ridge defense shepherded the ball away at the last moment.
Just a few minutes later, Ziemer skied her right-footed effort from 12 yards just over the Nation Ford crossbar.
Workman hit a hard, long-range shot that caromed off the crossbar and into McCaskill’s arms.
Entering the overtime period, Riverside kept up the pressure. It only took two minutes for freshman midfielder Hannah Liu to head her team in front from a corner kick, sparking a frenzied team celebration.
With its season on the line, Nation Ford needed an equalizer to force a golden goal overtime period. With five minutes left in the second overtime period, sophomore Harper Tumblin ran into the right spot to receive a cross from the far side, but she couldn’t keep her shot under the crossbar.
Minutes later, the final whistle blew on Nation Ford’s season ending it with a 20-3-1 record.
“We never lost a game because we got outworked,” Dundr said. “We may have lost a game because of mistakes or not capitalizing, but we worked harder and we were organized as a group.”
