Spartans score a big win
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
The first score brought pure cathartic release worthy of the famous soccer announcer’s chant of, “Gooooaaaaaallllllllll!”
The second one was almost surreal, coming just minutes later. And five minutes after that, when Emporia High had finished a come-from-behind victory, the Spartans celebrated almost like it was a postseason win.
Ashley Leihsing’s long-distance goal to the far post pulled Emporia even with Blue Valley with 8:19 remaining, and Jordan Sosa’s breakaway score with 4:42 left proved to be the game-winner as Emporia High got a huge 2-1 victory on Monday at TRYSA.
Two goals in less than four minutes. For a team that was becoming famous for its scoring struggles — EHS had gotten on the board in only two of its previous seven games — this was something to celebrate. And yeah, the win was nice, too — but coach John Decker even went so far as to move the actual victory down on the priority list.
“We needed a win, obviously, and more importantly, we needed to score goals,” he said. “The girls, they’re just struggling getting goals this year, and the more you don’t get... the harder you try, and the (less success you have).”
Leihsing’s breathtaking goal, her first of the year, came out of nowhere — it was the Spartans’ first real scoring chance of the second half. She got a pass down the left side from Tania Morales, showed a burst of speed to catch up to the ball, took it down the side with her left foot, then dribbled back inside to her right foot. Her well-struck shot arched perfectly over Blue Valley goalkeeper Erin Mitchell and inside the far post. Morales earned credit for the assist.
“(When I shot it), I was like, ‘This is gonna go in,’” Leihsing said. “And I just saw it go right over the goalie’s hands, and it was perfect placement.”
Melanie Nuessen, who did her usual fine job in goal for EHS, helped keep the score tied about three minutes later when she dove to save a ball bouncing toward the right corner, smothering it just in front of the Tigers’ Rianin Bowser. Half a minute later, Sosa got her breakaway chance when the ball got behind the Blue Valley defense. She ran straight up the center of the field toward the ball, with only Mitchell between Sosa and the goal. Mitchell came out to challenge, and Sosa grounded the shot off her hands and inside the right corner. Rachelle VanGundy got the assist.
“All I was thinking was just getting it to the corner and getting it past her,” Sosa said.
Emporia High (6-8-1) got the necessary defensive plays after that to run out the clock. With 52 seconds remaining, Blue Valley had a free kick from just inside midfield. Leihsing headed the kick back the other way, and VanGundy cleared it to the sideline. Another clear out of EHS’s right corner with less than 10 seconds to go sealed the win.
Decker’s postgame address to his team included the question, “What does it feel like when we score that goal?” Seems like a rhetorical question, but Decker was referring more to the adrenaline boost, the physical rejuvenation that comes with getting on the scoreboard. EHS got its two goals on just eight shots and seven shots on goal.
“I knew when we scored, that was gonna help my team out a lot,” Leihsing said. “Because our energy level just picked up right away.”
Decker hopes that boost can continue through Thursday’s regular-season finale at TRYSA against Topeka High and into the postseason.
“Getting a couple, especially in a game like this, I think, hopefully we’ll see Thursday that that just gives us all the more confidence and we can keep that rolling,” he said.