Albemarle girls soccer’s goalies have, over the last few years, put together relatively boring regular seasons. The performances look great in a box score with shutout after shutout. But except for the occasional save here or there, when your team is as dominant as the Patriots are in most regular season matches, playing goalie for Albemarle is largely long stretches of standing around, trying to stay alert.
Then when the playoffs roll around and the competition heats up? Like all those goalies in the past, Albemarle’s current keeper Aiyanah Tyler-Cooper has to answer the bell.
“I always look forward to the postseason because I know big saves are going to happen, better teams are going to come,” Tyler-Cooper said. “I’m just ready for it.”
Thursday night she proved she was ready in Albemarle’s 4-0 victory over Briar Woods in the Region 5A North quarterfinals. Late in the first half, the Patriots got whistled for a handball in the box, giving Briar Woods a penalty kick. Tyler-Cooper was up for the challenge, diving and extending to her left to snuff out the chance. The Albemarle bench and Tyler-Cooper herself erupted, with the celebration carrying through the final two minutes of the half on into the break.
“I was staring her down and she kind of took a glimpse of the corner where she was going,” Tyler-Cooper said. “I just went that way and trusted my gut.”
The senior keeper’s big play gave Albemarle a big energy surge and helped keep Briar Woods at bay while the Patriots moved one step closer to a potential state tournament berth. With one more win, Albemarle would secure a berth in the state tournament.
“She just made a phenomenal save, that’s a difference maker in the game,” said Albemarle coach Amy Sherrill. “She keeps the shutout and we live to see another day.”
The Patriots had prepared for exactly that scenario, bringing some junior varsity boys players into practice to take shots on Tyler-Cooper, giving her a chance to see faster, more aggessive shots. The practice paid off in the big moment. Tyler-Cooper also finished with 10 saves on the night in an all-around sterling performance.
Meanwhile, the Albemarle offense was going to work too, with two goals from Hannah Eiden and Brooke Bauman coming shortly before Tyler-Cooper’s penalty kick stuff. Bauman scored off a Leticia Freitas assist with 15 minutes to play in the first half while Eiden finished off the second goal with Megan Schantz providing the assist.
After the break, Fizzy Gonzalez scored the Patriots’ third goal before Katie Schnell slotted in a fourth after Eiden set the table on the run. Briar Woods’ defense didn’t make it easy on the Patriots, but Albemarle managed to shake off some hard, physical play with several big-time plays. Schnell’s goal came in the wake of her entering the game to replace Gonzalez, who’d absorbed some particularly brutal tackles while continuing to apply pressure to the Briar Woods defense.
“She’s been knocking on the door all season, she’s been playing phenomenal all season,” Sherrill said. “When that opportunity was there, she made a great play reading the ball.”
The Patriots will play in the region semifinals Wednesday.
