After two overtimes and six sudden death penalty kicks, the girls came out on top.
“It was a wonderful year,” said head coach Bruce Kreinbrink. “They showed progress throughout the whole year and it was a narrow miss there at the end since we were penalty kicks away from getting beat, but the St. Luke girl just happened to miss wide right and that gave us the opportunity (to win).”
The championship game was by far the closest game the girls had played all season. The game was back and forth with St. Luke leading and Ascension tying things up with a goal. It wasn’t until the sixth penalty kick that Ascension was able to capitalize on a missed kick by St. Luke and capture the victory.
The closest game for the girls prior to that was a 3-1 win, which ironically came against St. Luke.
For some of the girls, the championship game was even more competitive than the score reveals. A number of the players on each team play along side each other in different leagues.
It was an ideal way for the girls to finish their season according to Kreinbrink.
“It was a nice battle going against each other,” said Kreinbrink. “We had a great season, all of the girls worked together. We went undefeated, untied all the way to the championship game of the tournament.”
Going undefeated wasn’t the only amazing feat for Ascension. All but one girl on the team recorded a goal.
When the team was up big, Kreinbrink gave other athletes who wouldn’t normally have been on offense, a chance to score. And with the exception of one player, everyone seemed to buy into the idea of changing positions.
“That’s the benefit of getting ahead by a goal or two. You’re able to move girls around and put them up front,” said Kreinbrink. “Some girls at the beginning of the year thought they just wanted to play defense but after we got them a goal or two they were saying ‘Oh, now it’s fun to play up front.’
“All of a sudden they liked to move around and play up front and score.”
But despite the big wins and having nearly everyone record a goal, the highlight for Kreinbrink was the final game of the season.
It was the only win of the season that almost didn’t happen.
“That was the first time we were getting beat all year,” said Kreinbrick “But we persevered and tied it, then we got behind again and we tied it again, but we didn’t get flustered and kept working hard so ultimately we won that game.
Contact this writer with story ideas at
hehr.3@wright.edu.
About the Author