Legacy had lost it. Red Oak went ahead with one second of time to play in the first half of overtime after the teams had drawn 0-0. The demoralized Broncos went into half time of overtime with one goal, to get one back and force a penalty shootout. A mere two minutes into the second half Stevie Riddle, 12, smashed the white and red SELECT ball into the Red Oak net, bringing Legacy level with Red Oak 1-1. Riddle acknowledged that the game wasn’t won yet and the Broncos had more work to do to make it to the next round. And they got it done, again.
“We had to keep pushing because we knew they were going to come back hard,” Riddle said. “I really wanted to make history by making it to round four.”
Play was equal through the match and each side fired off shots at one another. Exuberant student sections from Red Oak and Legacy kept the game’s energy buzzing. A series of trademark Kyleigh Hall saves kept the Broncos in the game. Hall felt she had to play well for Khirah Madison, who came out of the game in the second half with a knee injury.
“We are doing it for Khirah because she didn’t deserve that,” Hall said.
After ending regular time 0-0 the teams headed into two 10 minute halves of overtime. Seconds before halftime of extra time a Red Oak player placed a shot just above the hands of diving Legacy keeper Hall, giving Red Oak a 1-0 lead. Hall asked her team to tie the game and she would take care of the rest.
“She told them that if you guys score one for me I will take care of it, I promise you,” Head Coach Heather Wilson said, “and she did.”
The fired up Broncos took the field while the encouraging student section chanted, “I believe that we will win.” Two minutes into the half the team had pressured the ball into Red Oak’s box. The ball managed to lay open in front of Riddle’s run. Riddle calmly shot the ball into the bottom left corner, past the outstretched Red Oak keeper’s hands.
“All they had to do was get the pressure forward and get that one right pass,” Coach Wilson said. “They never gave up.”
For the second straight playoff game the Broncos played to a penalty shootout. Hall waited in the corner of the field for the Red Oak player to be ready, walked up to her and stared at her then retreated to her shootout position. The methodical tradition paid off when Hall made a save on Red Oak’s fourth and final shot.
“I love that confidence that she has when she steps up under pressure,” Coach Wilson said. “I also have to give it up for the shooters. That is a really difficult job to do, they were calm, poised and did what they had to do.”
The win earned the girls’ varsity team their first regional tournament spot in school history. They will play April 10 against Wylie East in Carrolton. Coach Wilson hopes the team can keep playing the way they have.
“The heart of this team is amazing,” Coach Wilson said. “If they keep playing the way they are they are going to surprise people.”
<align=center>
Post-Game Celebrations from therideronline on Vimeo.
