The old defensive philosophy says bend but don?t break. On Monday afternoon, the Dulaney High girls soccer team kept bending and finally broke late. Eileen Girling of host Mount de Sales scored the winner with about two minutes left in double overtime for a 2-1 win in the public-private matchup.
Staking themselves to an early lead, the Lions opened the scoring behind a fortunate bounce in the eighth minute. Running hard after a 50-50 ball, Lions junior forward Joy Oberlin had a one-on-one with Sailors goalie Katie Elsworth.
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Elsworth beat Oberlin to the ball, but her ensuing clear attempt deflected off Oberlin, back past her and into the back of the Sailors? net.
The odd deflection proved to be the only scoring of the first half. Shots were even at 6-6 for both sides, with the Lions getting four corners to the Sailors? three.
The best chance Mount de Sales had to equalize in the opening half came at the 14-minute mark, when the team failed to capitalize on a goal-mouth scramble. The ball went just wide of the net.
Dulaney?s Brittany Frankenfeld relieved Bridgett Carr in goal in the second half and faced a greater challenge.
Mount de Sales dominated in the second half, outshooting the Lions, 9-2, and taking twocorners to Dulaney?s zero. But the dominance didn?t show on the scoreboard, and the Sailors still trailed late.
They finally broke through in the 79th minute on a fantastically placed header by Emily Reese, who sent the equalizer just over the outstretched fingertips of a charging Frankenfeld.
The first overtime period was marked by lots of long-ball misfires and tentative play. Neither squad wanted to make the costly mistake.
The second overtime finally yielded a winner, but much later than should have been. Behind two Frankenfeld saves, the Lions stayed alive, but just long enough for Girling to become the hero for Mount de Sales.
Collecting in a deflected free kick, she unleashed a bomb from the top of the 18-yard box that snuck through traffic and a diving Frankenfeld for the winner.
