After both teams scored a goal early in the first half, the Madera South Stallions and Liberty Hawks girls soccer teams spent the next 80-plus minutes trying to find the go-ahead goal.
Finally, in the sixth minute of the second half of overtime, Breanna Maciel took advantage of a wind-aided kick to score the game-winner for a 2-1 victory Tuesday at Liberty.
“In the overtime, we discussed to play our game,” said Madera South head coach Ramon Delgadillo. “They started playing really well. We were dominating since the beginning. Our passes were better.”
“Towards the middle of the second half and on, we got a little tired,” said Liberty head coach Erick Walker. “Defensively, it felt like quicksand. We just couldn’t get out of their end. We were trying everything we could to get it out.”
Seven minutes into the match, Madera South’s Aliah Avila scored on a breakaway with Emily Santos getting the assist.
“It was a really good play,” Delgadillo said. “We started touching the ball really well.”
However, in about the 12th minute of the first half, the Hawks scored the equalizer.
“Sara (Garibay) got the ball on the left and sent it to the middle for Sophia (Garibay),” Walker said. “Sophia sent it right over the goalkeeper’s head.”
“They got a little momentume after that,” Delgadillo said. “It was intense and back-and-forth after that.”
Both teams battled to a tie and played two 10 minute halves for overtime.
In the fifth minute of the second half of overtime, Anahi Casillas sent a high ball across the face of the goal. The ball went over Liberty goalkeeper Carly Tynan’s head and just dropped in the wind.
Maciel was behind the play and knocked the ball into the open net for the game-winner.
“As a soccer player, I don’t like playing in the wind,” Walker said. “The wind doesn’t determine the game. It plays into your head.”