Trojans, Lady Trojans move on in playoffs
By By Will Bardwell / staff writer
Jan. 28, 2004
Northeast Lauderdale dominated Hernando at the beginning and middle of Tuesday's first-round playoff game. It was the middle of the contest that worried head coach Eric Ferry.
The Trojans led 3-0, then allowed the Tigers two goals before finishing strong for a 5-2 victory. Chad Brunson scored three goals in a hat trick for Northeast Lauderdale, and Paul Tate scored two goals for the Trojans.
But after Hernando came within one goal of tying the Trojans in the 44th minute, Northeast Lauderdale clamped down before pulling away.
The Trojans and Tigers each had chances throughout the first half, but neither team capitalized until Brunson scored in the 18th minute for a 1-0 Trojans lead.
Tate gave Northeast Lauderdale a 2-0 lead on a short goal in the 34th minute, and Brunson made it a 3-0 game in the 37th minute with a shot from the right side that sliced just inside the right goalpost.
But just as the Trojans seemed to be coasting, Hernando woke up. The Tigers got a stoppage-time goal just seconds before officials ended the first half, and Hernando made it 3-2 on another goal four minutes into the second half.
After the gap closed, Ferry said subtle adjustments helped the Trojans hold on to their lead.
Northeast Lauderdale came back to life afterward, spending most of the rest of the game on Hernando's half of the field. Tate put the Trojans back on the board in the 56th minute for a 4-2 lead, and Coleman Hobgood nearly scored in the 66th minute on a shot across the box that was barely tipped away.
Brunson put the game away in the 70th minute on the Trojans' final goal, which came on an assist from Antonio Serton.
NE Lauderdale (girls) 3
Hernando 2
Danielle Smith scored two goals, including the game-winner late in the second half, to lead Northeast Lauderdale past Hernando 3-2 in the first round of the state playoffs.
Ivy Rawson also had a goal for the Lady Trojans, who avoided a handful of threats of their own end and weathered several frustrating stops by Hernando's goalie.
Northeast Lauderdale, which plays Ridgeland on Saturday, jumped out to a 2-0 lead midway through the first half. Rawson scored the Lady Trojans' first goal in the first minute of the game, and Danielle Smith added another on an eight-yard blast over the Hernando goalie's head in the 20th minute.
But Hernando answered quickly, countering Northeast Lauderdale's second goal with one of their own in the 21st minute. Four minutes later, the Lady Tigers connected on a penalty kick to tie the game 2-2.
The Lady Trojans gave themselves plenty of opportunities to move ahead, but were constantly stymied at the goal. Lindsey Tingle broke away from the pack in the 38th minute, but was beaten to a loose ball by Hernando's goalie 10 yards outside the Lady Tigers' goal.
Brittany Britain created a breakaway of her own during stoppage time in the first half, splitting two defenders and firing off a shot, but the ball was knocked down and swallowed up seconds before halftime.
Smith came close to scoring twice early in the second half for the Lady Trojans. Smith beat four defenders on one possession, but her 15-yard shot was knocked down in the box. She got off another open shot midway through the second, but the ball bounced off the inside of the goal post and ran parallel to the goal line until the goalie pounced on the slow roller.
Smith finally connected in the 72nd minute, sweeping down from the sideline and unleashing a 20-yard strike into the back of the net.
The Lady Tigers had one last chance in the final minutes on a free kick just outside Northeast Lauderdale's box. The kick bounced around and rolled slowly toward the goal line, but Lady Trojans goalie Codi Holifield fell on the ball to squelch Hernando's final threat.
