With a trip to the district championship and an automatic spot in the regional tournament on the line, it was only natural that Saturday’s postseason match between Apollo and Owensboro went to penalty kicks. Both of their regular season matches went the distance, with the teams splitting those games. This time around, it was the E-Gals that emerged victorious, scoring three times in PKs for a 2-1 victory.
“I think the weather played a big factor today,” Apollo head coach Zach Akin said. “Playing in the middle of the day when it’s hot, you can tell in the second half when the game kind of died off. Full credit to Owensboro who made it another tough game. I told their coach after the game, penalties are the worst way to win or lose. I think our girls played hard, they got through it, and we get to keep playing.”
Just two minutes into the match, Ella Hall found Amelia Calhoun who buried it to give the Lady Devils a 1-0 lead. It was Hall’s 18th assist on the season, a new school single-season record. For the remainder of the half, Owensboro dominated time of possession, constantly keeping the ball on the E-Gals’ end. Whenever Apollo crossed midfield, the Lady Devils’ defense swarmed the ball carrier and quickly regained possession.
In the 37th minute, Apollo had a breakaway, but an Owensboro defender was able to track down the ball and deflect the shot at the last moment. Thirty seconds later, the E-Gals’ Rachel Edens tied it up, beating goalie Hayley Sikes.
In the second half, each team had a few opportunities, but neither was able to find the back of the net, leading to overtime. The heat became a factor towards the end of regulation, with both teams constantly substituting to find an edge.
One minute into the first overtime period, the Lady Devils had a breakaway and a clear look, but the shot sailed high over the net. Neither team was able to score in overtime and the match headed to PKs.
In the first round of PKs, both goalies made saves, but Apollo went on to make their next three shots while stonewalling Owensboro at every opportunity, securing the win.
This was the Lady Devils’ first winning season in a few years in what has been a drastic turnaround by head coach Sarah Poole and her staff.
“Obviously, it was a huge disappointment,” Poole said. “We knew it was going to be a tough game. We did the exact same thing twice this year. Honestly, I thought we dominated the game which makes it even harder. We came out strong and scored in the first two minutes… We couldn’t find the back of the net and we really struggled with that. But I am extremely proud of these girls.”
The E-Gals will now play Daviess County in the district championship game on Tuesday evening. The Lady Panthers have dominated the district during the regular season, and it will be a tall task for Apollo.
“I want us to compete,” Akin said. “It’s a quick turnaround after playing another 90 minutes plus penalties today in the heat. We will have tomorrow off and train on Monday. We will go into the game trying to compete and see what we can do.”
