St. Michael's girls soccer falls in OT in TAPPS title match
ROUND ROCK — Two late goals by Grapevine Faith Christian proved the difference in a 2-1 win over St. Michael's in the TAPPS Division II girls state championship soccer match Tuesday at the Round Rock Multipurpose Complex.
Sophomore Laney Kalsu blasted a 45-yard shot that bounded into the goal as St. Michael’s (22-3) grabbed a 1-0 lead 27 minutes into the match.
That goal stood until just over 10 minutes remained in the second half when Faith Christian (20-3) tied the match on a header off a corner kick. The defending champion Lions scored in the ninth minute of a sudden-death overtime to keep their crown.
"Our girls played hard the whole match," said St. Michael’s Academy head coach Tim Keyes, whose team lost 7-1 to Faith Christian in the title game last season. "I am very proud of them. It was a hard match in tough conditions. We got here last year, so we continue to improve."
Playing on a blustery and chilly afternoon, the match's three goals were all scored with the wind blowing into the defender’s goal.
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“Obviously, it was cold and windy, but we played pretty well,” Keyes said.
The Crusaders struggled against the physical Faith Christian players, who relied on their size and the lack of many whistles from the referee.
Despite the loss, the Crusaders played very well behind Kalsu, who played a pivotal role as a sweeper and helped her team keep the ball out of its end most of the first half. St. Michael’s goalkeeper Skylar Mackey was brilliant as the Lions offense peppered her with shots when they had the wind at its back.
Senior Kennedy Hill and sister Lauren Hill, a freshman, were outstanding with their ball movement for St. Michael's despite being marked closely with and without the ball. Kennedy Hill’s shot in the 25th minute skimmed the top of the bar on the Faith Christian goal while Lauren Hill had a shot hit the post in the first half.
St. Michael’s moved the ball well in the first half as Cadence Layne, the Hill sisters, Kalsu, Julie Leger, Emma Self and Mackenzie Little continually worked a quick passing overlap offense that kept Faith Christian on its heels for the first 60 minutes of the match.
Faith Christian came alive late in regulation when Caitlyn Burks lifted a corner kick into the scrum in front of the St. Michael’s goal and Taylor Sal headed it into the upper right corner to tie the game. The Faith Christian coaching staff changed up and moved a defender into the front as the winds picked up, and the rest of the match was played mostly on the Crusader side of the midline.
Faith Christian won the overtime coin toss and got the blustery north wind at its back, and the Lions kept the pressure on. With just over five minutes left in the overtime period, Faith Christian had a point-blank shot on goal that Mackey rejected. Three minutes later, Faith Christian pushed the ball upfield as Malia McCaleb launched a long crossing pass that was redirected into the goal by Reagan Hudnall, ending the match in the 89th minute.
“The girls gave their all out there today," Keyes said. "They never quit and never complained. I am so proud of them, and they have two state finals finishes now, and we go to work on next year."
TAPPS plays a winter soccer schedule, hence the state tournament this week. The UIL districts are wrapping up their regular seasons and will start the playoffs later this month.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Grapevine Faith Christian beats St. Michael's in TAPPS girls soccer
