Hornets win heart-stopper over John Carroll

CHELSEA -- It’s an old and somewhat trite saying, but for Chelsea High School’s girls soccer team, it’s very true: the third time’s the charm.

The fourth-ranked Hornets finally got past their old foe, top-rated John Carroll, by a 3-2 score in a heart-stopping Class 6A quarterfinal playoff game Saturday night.

The win came down to a penalty shootout, just as the past two playoff matches between the two teams had. But this time the outcome was different, as the Hornets won the shootout by a 5-4 count.

After a 2-2 tie in regulation play and no golden goal to end the match in 10 minutes of extra time, the first five shooters in the kicks from the 11-meter spot made three goals each and missed two. From that point on it was sudden death, as each side sent pair of players to the spot to try to put the match away.

In the end, it was Hornets senior goalkeeper Sabrina Lang who came up big from both sides of the spot.

Lang herself took the sixth penalty kick for Chelsea — an unusual move for a keeper. She calmly netted the ball just as if she were her team’s star striker.

“It’s the first time I’ve even taken a shot in a shootout, and the first time I’ve scored a goal,” Lang said.

Lang couldn’t stop the Cavaliers’ next shooter, so the tally remained tied. On the seventh round, Morgan Bright found the back of the net, and Lang faced John Carroll freshman Lauren Hooten.

Lang moved to her right in anticipation of Hooten’s shot. That’s where the ball went, and Lang tipped it over the crossbar for the victory and a trip to the state semifinals in Huntsville.

“I wanted to do something to help my team out, and it was awesome to be able to score and save some penalty kicks as well,” Lang said. “I saw that she was looking toward my right and moved an inch toward that side, and prepared for that shot up top.”

The Hornets took the early advantage, thanks to a pair of first-half goals by sophomore Haley Greene. Her first goal in the 29th minute came off a rebound from Cavs keeper Song Bowers. Eight minutes later, Greene smashed a rocket of a shot from 30 meters away that bounced off the cross bar and in.

Much like a basketball guard who likes to hit 3-point shots, Greene loves to score from outside. “Last year I shot one farther than that against the same team. It was almost back to the [center field] circle,” she said.

But the momentum changed in the second half, as the Hornets began to tire a bit and John Carroll found ways to evade Chelsea’s tight marking.

Kailian Davis put the visitors on the score sheet in the 53rd minute off an assist from Mary Grace Farr. Nine minutes afterward, senior winger Gabby Bernal — who’s headed to play for Birmingham-Southern College next year — scored from a tight angle.

Neither side could gain an advantage for the rest of regulation time or extra time.

Lang had seven saves for the night, while Bowers recorded six.

The win gives the Hornets their first trip to the state tournament since they won the Class 5A title in 2012, and it gave coach Jonathan Hammett a full measure of relief.

“Two years in a row we’ve played John Carroll in the playoffs, and it’s gone past the fifth round of PKs every time,” Hammett said. “They pressed us more in the middle in the second half while we were trying to kill time. Their second goal was from a ridiculous shot. My hat’s off to Gabby Bernal.”

Chelsea (15-6-2) will face Northview in the semifinals on Friday. Northview defeated Baldwin County 1-0 (3-0 on penalty kicks). The Cavs end their season with a 14-5-1 record.

Oak Mountain, Briarwood advance

The area will be well-represented in Huntsville, as both Oak Mountain teams and both Briarwood teams each qualified for the state semifinals as well with wins last week.

The Oak Mountain boys traveled to Grissom and won 3-1, and will face Vestavia Hills at 3 p.m. Friday at the John Hunt Soccer Complex.

Oak Mountain's girls also traveled north, and defeated Bob Jones. The Lady Eagles will also take on Vestavia on Friday, at 1 p.m.

Both Briarwood teams also took to the road, but the Lions went south. The girls team dominated Alabama Christian and even enacted the mercy rule, winning 11-1. The Lady Lions will face Faith Academy at 3:30 p.m. Thursday.

The boys team had a much tougher game against LAMP, but the Lions came out on top, 3-1. They will take on Andalusia Thursday at 5:30 p.m.