Downingtown East 13, Upper Dublin 10
There have been stretches during the Flying Cardinals’ postseason run that have been nothing short of magical. They might have saved their best for last.Trailing a Cougar squad with state title aspirations 13-2 with 14 minutes remaining and a running clock in effect, the Flying Cardinals appeared to be on their way to a forgettable defeat, but then coach Dee Cross called a timeout.
Nothing was ever the same again. The Flying Cardinals proceeded to outscore the district champion Cougars 8-0 to close out the game, a stretch that was so unsettling that Downingtown East actually called a timeout with less than a minute to play. If that’s not magic, what is?
“We just started winning every draw control and went down and started scoring,” Cross said. “Their defense fell apart, and we were scoring a goal a minute.
“With 30 seconds left, they called a timeout. I said, ‘You made the district champions call a timeout with 30 seconds left and a three-goal lead. That’s got to say something.’ We just ran out of time. If the clock hadn’t been running because they were up by 11 – we hit five posts in the game. It was unbelievable. A few more minutes on the clock, and we could have won. We had momentum. It was just crazy.”
So what exactly did Cross tell her players during the timeout that forever changed the complexion of the game?
“I said, ‘There’s nothing else that we can tell you. There are no other adjustments we can make. You guys have to figure it out on the field. You’re on your own. There’s nothing else we can do,’” the Flying Cardinals’ recalled.
Emily Hitchings helped ignite the Ghosts with four goals and one assist while Kelly Cross had four goals and two assists. Kaley Weinstein and Brooke Callahan each added single goals to close out the scoring.
“Emily had some really key pickups, and she had good ball controls,” coach Cross said. “All in all, it was a moral victory for us. I think we had the closest score against them in the whole playoffs.
“If we had lost 13-2 - that would have been a real demoralizer. For them to pick it up and score eight unanswered goals, it ended the season on a positive note, if that’s possible ending with a loss, and it gives us something to work toward next year. I think the girls understand how close they are to being there. Give or take, I think we could have won the game. We’re so proud of the way they came back.”
The Flying Cardinals – who will graduate just one starter - closed out the season with a 17-7 record, and they are undoubtedly counting the days until their next season begins.
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