Jay survives opener

YORKTOWN — The Patriots found themselves in a situation they could not have expected to be in.
Late in the opening half of Tuesday’s high school girls soccer sectional opener, Jay County had built a three-goal lead. It looked as if it was headed for a trip to the tournament semifinal round by way of a blowout win.
But the Muncie Central Bearcats wouldn’t go away, and midway through the second half the Patriots were locked in a tie game with their tournament lives on the line.
After playing in a daze for a while after the comeback, Jay County responded and Sammi Compton delivered the game-winning goal with just 2:26 remaining to lift the Patriots to a 4-3 victory.
“That was the happiest sight I’ve seen in a long time,” said JCHS coach Abby Champ of Compton’s connection. “That was the best, most beautiful goal I’ve seen in a long time. … I was so happy.
“We’re definitely excited. We’re relieved. We’re happy. We’re thankful. We’re a little of everything.”
Central turned a potential blow out into a gritty battle when Sydney Clasby took a pass up the middle and got behind the Patriot defense, firing a shot past diving goalie Mollie May to tie the game.Clasby had gotten the Bearcats (4-10) on the board with just 20 seconds left in the opening half, and also assisted on a goal by fellow sophomore Jessica Rowe at the 30:44 mark of the second half.
Clasby’s game-tying goal came just over two minutes later and left Jay County stunned.
“The third goal came, and I think for that 10 minutes it was us shocked,” said senior captain LeAnn Horn, who scored two of the Patriots’ first-half goals. “We didn’t know how to react to what just happened. …
“That whole time we were tied, I was scared to death.”
With the game tied, Jay County’s players couldn’t help but think of overtime and a potential penalty-kick shootout, a situation they are all-too familiar with. The Patriots had gone to penalty kicks in their opening sectional game in each of the last three years, falling to Norwell last season and Eastern in 2008 while topping South Adams in 2009, and had no desire to be in that position again.
After playing flat for about 15 minutes, they found their energy again and it eventually paid off.
Less than a minute after a 25-yard shot from Maddie Bailey went wide to the right, freshman Catherine Dunn keyed another JCHS attack. She had the ball on the right side and sent a pass into the goal box. Compton was there to track it down, and her shot to the left corner put the Patriots back on top.
“Defensively we just didn’t get back,” said Central coach Amanda Ford. “We were just not on our toes, not aware of what was going on behind us.”
Compton also scored the Patriots’ final goal of the opening half, which came at the 3:40 mark, off an assist from Horn.
“Catherine just saw me in the center, so she just crossed it over,” said Compton, a junior, of the game-winner — her 10th goal of the season. “I had it on my foot, and I just thought to myself, ‘I’ve got to go to the far-side corner.’ And I put it there, and it went it and I was so excited.
“It just was incredible and exciting.”
Jay County’s first goal came less than three minutes into the game after Ericka Reynolds sent the ball into the 18-yard box. The Bearcats were able to fend of the initial attack, but Tiffany Huelskamp tracked down the ball and sent it back in. Horn took the pass and connected for the 1-0 lead.
Horn scored her second goal at the 19:02 mark off of passes from Huelskamp and Compton.
The victory improved the Patriots to 10-6, giving them the most wins for any JCHS team since the 2002 squad set a school record with a 12-4-1 mark. They will play Muncie Southside, who they defeated 2-0 in the regular season, in sectional semifinal action Thursday at 7 p.m.[[In-content Ad]]