TaylorAnne Barry had one word for her goal in a 1-0 victory for her St. Anne’s-Belfield squad over Collegiate in the LIS semifinals.
“Big,” Barry said.
Barry moved forward in St. Anne’s-Belfield’s girls soccer squad’s formation, stepping up to the striker spot with Kylie Hegemier on the sidelines nursing an injury. Barry was convinced she was just filling time while Hegemier recovered. She didn’t think she’d get a real chance to break a scoreless deadlock between the Saints and Cougars.
“I didn’t really think so, I was just trying to wait because Kylie was hurt,” Barry said.
But she got that exact opportunity when a through ball came right to her feet. With a pair of quick moves and a determined push, Barry snaked through a pair of defenders and slotted the ball far post in the early stages of the second half. With a determined defensive effort, STAB held on to that margin and knocked off traditional powerhouse Collegiate to advance to the LIS final.
“I just had to push through it and try and get a shot off,” Barry said.
What followed just seconds later was just as impressive as Barry’s goal. STAB goalkeeper Lauren Gampper made a leaping, diving save to her right on a blast from a Collegiate player, punching the ball out to maintain the Saints’ narrow lead that Berry had just created. It was one of several huge saves throughout the game by Gampper that highlighted an incredible defensive performance to get a shutout against Collegiate’s dynamic offense.
“No rebounds, diving saves, just a phenomenal game (from Gampper),” said STAB coach Mark O’Donnell.
STAB improved drastically after the break, finding some answers for an experienced, savvy Collegiate squad. That helped kickstart the Saints to take control, particularly in the run-up to Barry’s crucial goal.
“We made some adjustments at halftime and we disrupted their midfield a lot more so we did a lot better on the counter,” O’Donnell. “Then TaylorAnne’s goal was just spectacular.”
STAB will host St. Catherine’s in the LIS final Thursday at 5 p.m., a squad the Saints tied once and lost to once early in the season.
