With a 1-0 double overtime win the Lady Vikings win their 15th game and are crowned TAPPS Regional Champions earning their 29th trip to the TAPPS Final Four, more then any other team in the history of the league. The match started strong with the Lady Vikings putting a ton of pressure on the Lady Cardinals who they had beaten earlier in the season 2-0 and 3-0. Rattling off some good shot attempts and several corners in the first half of the play, the Lady Vikings were kept off the board crediting the John Paul goalkeeper with a couple outstanding saves.
"As the first half went on we lost some rhythm and the game was end to end. We usually are good in games like that but tonight we needed to expose space a bit better," said LVS head coach, Jay Fitzgerald.
The Lady Vikings defending was outstanding limiting the Lady Cardinals to 4 shots on goal while taking 11 shots of their own adding in 9 corner kicks. Fitzgerald continued, "We just were NOT going to get scored on."
Coming alive at the end of both halves in regulation, opportunities were starting to become a little more dangerous. Half chances started to become full chances especially in overtime. Early and often the Lady Vikings got the ball in front of the Cardinals net but could not capitalize, even after a goal was called back after a late offsides call as Megan Bettinger finished a ball that just got through the center backs.
The pro-LVS crowd provided the much needed energy to find an extra gear as the overtime periods grew closer and closer to a penalty kick shootout. But it was Meghan Kittleson picking up a second ball from 20 yards out and placing it right over the head of the Lady Cardinal goalkeeper for the sudden death game-winner. The goal was the first goal on the season for Kittleson on only the 5th shot she has taken all season long.
Fitzgerald spoke highly of the production of Kittleson, "We had a lot of really good players tonight but Kit got up and down the field for 96 minutes straight. She is a box to box player that has an amazing engine."
With 4:15 minutes left on the clock in the 96th minute of play in double overtime, the Lady Vikings get the golden goal and earn another trip to the TAPPS Final Four, their 29th to be exact. With 16 State Finals and 4 State Championships, the Lady Vikings move on in the playoffs taking on Ursuline on Friday night at 6:00pm at Liberty Christian.
The State Championship will be in Waco on March 9th at 5:00pm.
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