Overtime win gives Boyle girls regional repeat

Published 12:38 pm Monday, October 21, 2024

The trip from unbearable tension to unbridled joy took no more than three seconds.

That’s about how long it took for Maggie Burke to push the ball through to Addison Hazlett, for Hazlett to punch the ball past the last line of defense and for the Boyle County girls to erupt in an unrestrained celebration.

Hazlett scored 26 seconds into sudden-death overtime Saturday to give Boyle its second consecutive 12th Region championship and set off a celebration that continued long after the Lady Rebels left Clara Morrow Field.

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“It just happened so fast and everyone just crashed into the goal, and it was electric,” Hazlett said.

Hazlett’s goal brought a sudden end to a typically contentious chapter in an underrated rivalry, lifting Boyle to a 3-2 victory over West Jessamine.

The Lady Rebels never led until that point but never lacked confidence after coming from behind twice to force overtime.

“I was just proud of how my kids just kept showing resilience, and they’ve been resilient all year,” Boyle coach Brian Deem said.

Senior Maggie Gnann, who scored the tying goal on a penalty kick in the 54th minute, said the Lady Rebels were ready when the extra period began.

“We knew that it was going to come down to whoever was strongest mentally and who was going to go win the ball out of the air, and that’s exactly what we did,” Gnann said. “We just finished simple. That was the plan, and we executed well. Addie scored immediately. I’m really proud of her.”

Hazlett, a junior who is Boyle’s second-leading scorer with 22 goals, received a through ball from teammate Maggie Burke and fired it past West Jessamine’s goalkeeper and two defenders from about 10 yards out and just left of the goal.

Deem said he had a great view of the play from the nearby Boyle bench.

“Addison got a great ball, she made a nice move, the defender came on and she was able to get away,” he said. “I was literally right there (in a) straight line watching it, and then when I saw her touch to the right I was like, ‘She’s going to bury this.’ And she sure did, and it was beautiful.”

In a heartbeat, Hazlett was in the middle of a maelstrom she could never have anticipated.

As soon as she turned and raised her arms, Claire Combs and then Ellery Taylor wrapped her in an embrace. A moment later, her teammates from elsewhere on the field and from the bench surrounded her, jumping for joy and hugging whoever was closest to them.

Hazlett said she wasn’t prepared for that kind of mob scene,

“It’s a great feeling,” Hazlett said. “It’s so emotional, and everyone’s upbeat.”

Gnann said it was a moment she wanted to be sure to remember.

“You almost had to stop for a second and just look around, and it’s just crazy. But it was so exciting,” she said. “We’ve worked for this all season. I’m so proud of everyone.”

Boyle (17-6-2) won its ninth regional championship – all in the past 20 years – and faced a quick turnaround before playing at Campbell County on Monday night in the first round of the state tournament.

The abbreviated overtime and Hazlett’s game-winner capped another classic game between the two teams that have won all of the titles since the 12th Region took its present form in 2012.

Boyle and West Jessamine have played 11 elimination games in the past 14 seasons – including a state tournament game in 2011 – and have met for the regional championship six times in the past 11 years.

“People just don’t understand about this rivalry, and it’s special,” Deem said. “I have a couple of buddies that have been coaching as long as I have, and they sent me a text once the saw the matchup and this one guy said, ‘It’s probably one of the best unknown heated rivalries in girls soccer across the state.’”

Games between these two teams feature a level of physical play and intensity that Deem and his players said isn’t duplicated in any other game they play, including state tournament games.

“Yeah, this one gets a little fun,” Deem said. “And you know, they’ve had a lot of their years and we’ve had a few of ours … but at the end of the day I have mad respect for West Jessamine and their program and I feel like they have respect for us.”

Six cards were issued in the game, including five in the final 23 minutes, and West Jessamine’s coach and one of its players were ejected. Several players on both sides were injured or shaken up, though all stayed in the game or returned to the field later.

“I kept telling them to calm down … and then as the game was going and the chippiness kept going and then the cards started coming out, I just kept (saying), ‘You’ve got to be the ones with composure and keep your poise,’ and we did,” Deem said.

Boyle goalkeeper Addie Cannon had 10 saves, while the Lady Rebels had only six shots on goal.

They trailed 1-0 after West Jessamine (6-9-3) scored in the 13th minute, but Ellen Gnann tied the game 8 1/2 minutes later by punching in a loose ball during a scrum inside the goal area.

The Lady Colts went back on top in the 51st minute, but Boyle was awarded a penalty kick in the 54th minute when Taylor drew a foul, and Maggie Gnann drove it home.

“I think everyone really rallied together after that, and we knew we could do it,” Maggie Gnann said.

She said she was glad the game wasn’t decided in a penalty kick shootout as Boyle’s win in the 2023 regional final was, and Deem agreed.

“What I think was gratifying for them was to win it in the run of play,” Deem said.

The victory gave Deem sole possession of second place on the KHSAA’s career wins list for girls soccer coaches. With his 391st win, he moved past Cy Tucker of South Oldham and trails only Terry Quigley of Lexington Catholic, who has 543 wins and is still active.

The only coach in the Boyle program’s history, Deem has a career record of 391-161-34 over 27 seasons.

The Lady Rebels advanced to the regional final by beating Pulaski County 8-0 and Southwestern 7-0 in their 13th and 14th shutouts of the season.

Combs, Taylor, Maggie Gnann and Reagan Britt of Boyle and Hallie Mullins of Lincoln County, which lost to West Jessamine 9-0 in the first round, were named to the all-tournament team.