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WARMINSTER – Tonya Gower is not big on displaying emotion, but William Tennent’s senior forward was reduced to tears after scoring the game-winning goal on a powerful corner shot five minutes into overtime of Wednesday night’s war against Council Rock South.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen her cry before,” Tennent coach Kate Wyatt said, tears rolling down her cheeks as well. “In four years, I don’t think I’ve ever seen her cry.”
For Gower and her Panther teammates, there was reason for emotion, there was reason for celebration.
The senior corner striker’s goal lifted the Panthers to an electrifying 3-2 win over the Golden Hawks in a key SOL National Conference contest.
“It was amazing,” Gower said. “Amazing describes it all.
“That was really emotional for me.”
The tears began to fall for Gower when she was tackled by her teammates in a wild mob scene after scoring the game winner.
“It was a touching moment to share with the girls,” she said. “I’ve never had a moment like that with the lights and the girls. It will be a time to remember.”
“It was better than winning the World Series,” teammate Kelsey Hiltebeitel said.
For the Panthers, this was their World Series, and every big win is another step closer to a coveted trip to the post-season playoffs.
“Ever since freshman year – this team we have on the field always connected better,” goalie Kristen Doherty said. “We don’t leave people out. We come together as a team.
“Our team is a family.”
“A lot of us have played together since middle school,” Hiltebeitel added. “We want playoffs this year.
“Last year it came down to us playing Council Rock South to get into the playoffs, and this year we’re showing them. We’re going to make it, and we’re on our way.”Wednesday’s game featured high drama almost from the outset, and it was the Golden Hawks getting on the scoreboard at the 21:27 mark when Kayla Hempel turned a pass from teammate Sarah Brotman into a goal.
That 1-0 lead held up for all of 56 seconds. That’s when Brittany Mitchell slammed home the rebound of a goalie save on her initial shot.
The scoring wasn’t over yet, and Maria Karidas connected after a flurry of activity in the circle, putting the Golden Hawks on top 2-1 at the 14:44 mark of the opening half.
“You have to remember to stay focused,” Karidas said. “The emotions are like a roller coaster ride. The ups and downs are unbelievable. You have to keep your head on straight and focus.”
Karidas acknowledged that simply playing on turf was reason enough for excitement for the Golden Hawks.
“It’s a big thing for us to play on turf,” she said. “You go out there – the momentum is going, and the whole team just comes together. It’s exciting.”
The excitement was actually just beginning, and the Golden Hawks’ 2-1 lead was anything but secure.
Twelve minutes into the second half, with South coach Lisa Defeo attempting to call for a timeout, the Panthers scored the equalizer when Alison Pio turned a pass from Gower in the right ally into a goal.
Late in the half, the Golden Hawks – during corner play after their third of six corners in the half – came within inches of knotting the score, but Doherty, who finished with eight saves, delivered a diving stick save.
“When I was in middle school, my coach told me to keep all the pink elephants out of the cage,” Doherty said. “That’s kind of been my mentality ever since I started.”
The Golden Hawks were awarded a corner as time was about to expire in regulation. With all zeroes on the scoreboard clock and all of their players around the circle, the Golden Hawks had all the time in the world to take the corner.
But the anticipated corner play never materialized, thanks to Hiltebeitel – the Panthers’ fearless flier who literally risked life and limb to take the ball off the corner striker’s stick.
Hiltebeitel pointed to her battle scars from recent outings – she has a stitch in her forehead and a taped broken finger.
No big deal, she said.
“Injuries are supposed to happen in sports – why not risk it?” Hiltebeitel said.
The overtime lasted less than five minutes.
The Golden Hawks drew an early corner but came up empty. Moments later, the Panthers were awarded a corner.
“Looking back from the defensive area, I felt like all of our emotions and aggression just stepped up to a 10, and we all just wanted it,” Hiltebeitel said. “I feel like the last 15 seconds of every game it comes down to a corner.
“Me and Kirsten (Doherty) look at each other and we say, ‘This is it. We have it here.’”
Gower made the corner count, firing a shot from the top right of the circle into the left corner of the cage.
The emotional celebration was about to begin.
“The girls want it so badly,” Wyatt said. “We all played so well together – we played as a team, we played as a unit, we played as one.
“You win together, and you lose together. Today they won together.
“We knew coming in South was a great team, and they gave us a run for our money. They were pushing hard the entire time too.”
Defeo has no complaints about her team’s effort.
“I think we did a lot of things right,” the first-year coach said. “We missed a couple of opportunities, but it wasn’t lack of effort.
“They have a lot of very fast girls. They’re used to the turf, and that’s hard being a grass team. We’re used to a slower-paced game. It’s hard to change your play from grass to turf. I think our girls played great.”
Both teams are 4-2 in the league as the first-go round in SOL play comes to a close later this week.
“This is one game,” Karidas said. “We have to keep on moving forward in everything we do. It’s our motto – keep moving forward.”
The Panthers hope to do the same.
“This year the girls are stepping it up so much,” Wyatt said. “I know this senior class, the past four years, they’ve wanted to make their mark, and they’re doing it.
“There’s not one team running with it this year. There are so many teams in it, and it’s going to come down to who wants it the most. Tonight these girls fought their hearts out.”
WILLIAM TENNENT 3, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 2
Council Rock South 2 0 0-2
William Tennent 1 1 1-3
Goals/Assists: CR South - Kayla Hempel 1-0, Maria Karidas 1-0, Sarah Brotman 0-1. Tennent – Brittany Mitchell 1-0, Tonya Gower 1-1, Alison Pio 1-0.
Shots: CRS-10, WT-8
Corners: CRS-12, WT-4.
Saves: Ashley Hart (CRS) 4, Kirsten Doherty (WT) 8.
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