Northwestern’s girls soccer team equalized against Kokomo with just 32 seconds left on the clock. The Wildkats had blown a two-goal lead over the final 23 minutes of regulation and by all expectation, should have been feeling down when overtime began.
Turns out, giving up the lead was exactly what Kokomo needed to get going.
The Wildkats struck back with a pair of goals in the first seven-minute overtime session and went on to win 4-2 in the opening game of the IHSAA Kokomo Girls Soccer Sectional Monday night. They overturned a regular-season loss to Northwestern and lived on to play in Thursday’s semifinals against Manchester, which beat Peru 2-0 In Monday’s nightcap.
“We were told never to let down,” Kokomo midfielder Brittney Hildebrand said of her squad’s mood as they went into overtime tied 2-2. “[Northwestern’s goal] just made us even more angry. We got a little bit more fire in us.”
The Kats (8-8) struck quickly in overtime when defender Mary Lang got a hold of a loose ball after a corner kick and slammed a shot home with less than 90 seconds gone in the bonus session. Four minutes later, Hildebrand put the Tigers away with her second goal of the night. She found herself with space to shoot 22 yards out and smashed a shot in off the left post for the final margin.
“I was glad to see us keep fighting,” Kokomo coach Myles Geary said. “These Tigers are tough. I was absolutely amazed to see what our girls did, especially in the overtime period.”
Geary called it “a phenomenal Kokomo-Northwestern game” and was relieved to have won. During most of regulation, the game was one-way traffic toward the Kokomo goal.
“That first half, we were on our back heels the whole time,” he said. Kokomo led 1-0 at halftime thanks to a goal from forward Casey Connor off a long feed from Hildebrand in the 26th minute. “Up until that point, we were on our backs the whole time and I don’t think we knew what we were going to do to get out of that situation.”
Kokomo doubled its lead in the 56th minute when Hildebrand placed a looping shot from about 28 yards out that was well out of the reach of Northwestern goalie Shelby Bogue. Ciara Johnson assisted the goal.
Northwestern (13-4) put Kokomo goalie Kristen Clason under constant pressure and finally broke through when midfielder Annelise Tarkington cranked a shot just off the hands of a diving Clason in the 58th minute. After another period of heavy pressure, Northwestern equalized with 32 seconds left when Sarah Lubben slid a short pass to attacker Kayla Priday to score deep inside the box.
“I think we dominated, at least the first half,” NW coach Paul Crook said. “It was a great game really, both teams played very well. Getting that equalizer I think was well deserved right at the end, but I think we’d probably spent our energy. I think we looked pretty tired.”
Crook said it was hard to get in position to threaten Clason because shots from distance just won’t get past her. She was forced into 10 saves.
“Clason was amazing,” Hildebrand said. “She’s a goddess. She really is.”
Despite the loss, Crook was happy with how his Tigers played.
“The main thing is it was a great game,” he said. “We went out in style I think.”
Sports
Related Photos
Discussion
SOCCER: Kats prevail in OT
Hildebrand strikes twice as Kokomo survives NW in opener
- Sports
-
-
Kats lose heartbreaker
Kokomo’s girls basketball team executed its game plan to near perfection against host Logansport in the first game of the Class 4A Logansport Sectional Tuesday.
-
Tipton races by Taylor
Over the last two seasons, Tipton’s girls basketball team has been held under 40 points in just three games.
Tuesday’s sectional opponent — Taylor — held the Blue Devils down in two of those games. Tuesday was a different story.
-
It’s tourney time
In the girls basketball regular season, Tipton and Logansport compiled gaudy records and conference championships while Taylor and Kokomo finished with sub-.500 records.
-
What a kick for Hoosier native Weatherford
Indianapolis — While Steve Weatherford celebrated with his teammates in the New York Giants’ locker room after the 21-17 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI, thoughts inevitably turned to Terre Haute — his hometown.
-
Ice baths can improve your health
Several years ago, I applied to be a participant in the weekly television show “Survivor.” Disappointingly, I was rejected.
-
Wiechmann comes up big in regional
Western senior wrestler Jake Wiechmann had lost twice this season to Kokomo standout Fletcher Miller, and was trailing 3-1 to Miller in the third period of the championship of the 182-pound match at the Peru Regional Saturday when the opportunity for vengeance struck.
-
Wildkat wrestlers move nine onto Ft. Wayne semistate
The Kokomo Wildkats’ bus will need just a little bit more gas than usual next weekend to haul its cargo up to Fort Wayne for Saturday’s individual wrestling semistate at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.
-
Visitors down at tourism office
Since moving its office location from the Kokomo Event Center to downtown Kokomo, the number of walk-in visits for tourism information has dropped 77 percent in one year.
-
Kokomo guts out a win at Lebanon
It didn’t take clairvoyance to deduce that Saturday night’s showdown between Class 4A No. 6-ranked Kokomo and Class 3A No. 3-ranked Lebanon in the Tigers’ Rosenstihl Gymnasium had the makings of a close affair.
-
Western beats Taylor, secures shot at outright MIC title
Something Taylor coach Andy Lewman noted about Western’s boys basketball team early on this season was how well the Panthers share the ball.
- More Sports Headlines
-
Worker Tells 911: Powell 'exploded the House'
Triple Win: Santorum Takes Minn., Mo., Colo.
Injured Marine Inspired by Homecoming
No Rape Charges Against Son of NYPD Commissioner
Romney Congratulates Santorum, Focuses on Obama
Paul Says Results Help Him Rack Up Delegates
Egypt's Ruling Generals Play Risky Game With US
Former Komen Exec Defends Funding Cut
Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
Calif. Gay Marriage Ban Ruled Unconstitutional
Jury Selection for Ex-UVa Athlete Enters 2nd Day
Raw Video: Giants Celebrate Another Super Bowl
Cab Driver Helps Wis. Family Escape House Fire
Greek Leaders Seek Deal As Bankruptcy Looms
Bernanke: Recovery Depends on Consumer Spending
Staff Removed at LA School During Abuse Probe
Eastwood in Super Bowl Ad 'Compassionate'
Stranded Fishermen Rescued From Bay of Green Bay
Analyst: Outside Troops Won't Intervene in Syria
Police: Father Planned Deadly Fire for Some Time
