Everest girls soccer team falls to Memorial in OT

EAU CLAIRE - For the majority of Thursday night, the D.C. Everest girls soccer team found a way to respond each time it seemed to be on the verge of elimination.

The Evergreens trailed by two goals less than 13 minutes in and were down by a score with roughly 10 minutes left in regulation.

Both times Everest responded to tie the game, but the Evergreens finally ran out of answers for Old Abes sophomore forward Abigail Stow.

Stow scored four goals, including the eventual game-winner as Memorial handed Everest a 6-3overtime loss in a WIAA Division 1 sectional semifinal and ended the Evergreens’ state championship reign.

Memorial scored three times in the extra periods as there is no golden goal in the WIAA playoffs. Teams play two 10-minute periods to conclusion regardless of the number of goals scored.

Memorial faces Kimberly in the sectional title game Saturday at D.C. Everest.

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“I think this team showed it has a ton of character the way we were able to come back,” Everest senior Kaylee Heil said. “It happened earlier in the season against SPASH and it happened here again today. We know how to bounce back and keep going. That’s what kept us going and got us to overtime. It just didn’t end the way we wanted to.”

Bodette sent the game into extra time as the senior scored off a corner kick by Bri Widmer in the 80th minute.

Memorial took control in overtime.

Stow got behind the Everest defense and took a through ball from Ali Bowe and beat Everest goalie Amanda Brown to give Memorial a 4-3 lead just over five minutes into the first extra overtime period.

Brown started to come out to challenge Stow on the play but then turned and retreated back towards the Evergreens net. Stow fired a low shot that Brown got a piece of but could not stop.

Teammate Serena Sorenson then scored an unassisted goal with eight seconds left in the first of two 10-minute overtime periods as she fired in a loose ball from the Everest goal box.

Stow’s fourth goal came with just under five minutes left in the second overtime. Everest had pushed its keeper near midfield and the Memorial forward was able to chase down a long pass from Ali Bowe and put the ball into the empty net.

“We knew our girls were tired going into overtime,” Everest coach Lucas Kollross said. “We just had to use way too much energy to battle back twice (in regulation). Things just didn’t go our way today, but we have nothing to be ashamed of. It’s two really good teams that unfortunately had to meet in the sectional semifinal.”

Everest lost to Memorial 1-0 in the regular season and the Old Abes looked like they might runaway with the rematch. Bowe scored her first goal just four and a half minutes into regulation as she deflected a crossing pass from Haley Hartkemeyer off her foot into the Everest net.

Stow made it 2-0 Memorial at the 12:56 mark as she converted another pass from Hartkemeyer in a near-mirror image of the opening goal.

“I don’t think there was much panic (on the team),” Heil said. “Yeah, we were a little down on ourselves because it’s a big game and there’s a lot at state. But we realized there was still a lot of time in the game and anything can happen.”

Heil took a pass from Widmer and scored on a shot into the lower right corner at the Memorial net to bring the Evergreens to within 2-1 in the 22nd minute.

Everest’s Dorene Sanchez then tied the game in the 43rd minute with a direct kick from the right of the Memorial goal about 30 yards out. The shot headed into the upper left corner and kissed off both the crossbar and the left post as it went into the net

“We switched our formation up after getting down two goals and after that I thought we did a really good job against their two forwards (the rest of regulation),” Everest coach Lucas Kollross said.

Memorial regained the lead just over four minutes into the second half. Stow made a run and drew a penalty kick as she was ruled to be taken down inside the Everest goal box. Hartkemeyer then converted the penalty kick, the first that the Evergreens had allowed in 26 games.

Both teams had quality scoring chances throughout the second half, including Stow who rifled a shot off the Evergreens crossbar in the 56th minute.

Widmer just missed on two direct kick opportunities in the second half and the Evergreens also had two strong scoring opportunities halted by offsides calls in the half as well.

But Widmer directed a perfect corner kick from the right of the Memorial net to Bodette, who was settled out front of the goal.

Bodette just missed on another corner kick opportunity from Widmer in the closing minutes of regulation and Everest seemed to have the momentum going into overtime.

“Bri crosssed it and (the ball) was right at my feet. I just crossed it in,” Bodette said. “I felt like we had the momentum going in (to overtime), but obviously it didn’t turn out the way we wanted it to.”

First half: 1. ECM, Abigail Stow (Haley Hartkemeyer), 4:28. 2. ECM, Stow (Hartkemeyer), 12:56. 3. DCE, Kaylee Heil (Bri Widmer), 21:54. 4. DCE, Dorene Sanchez, 42:17.

Second half: 5. ECM, Hartkemeyer, 49:02 (pk). 6. DCE, Kelly Bodette (Widmer), 79:43.

First OT: 7. ECM, Stow (Bowe), 95:10. 8. ECM, Serena Sorensen, 99.52.

Second OT: 9 ECM, Stow (Bowe), 105:05.

Saves: DCE, Amanda Brown 4, Kayla Rogan 1; ECM Grace Frank 4.