Too little, too late
BUTLER TWP — Wednesday night offered a case of too little, too late for the Butler girls soccer team.
The Golden Tornado's formidable attack was stymied almost the entire game by North Allegheny.
When Liz Simms finally got Butler on the board with a shot from the right of the net, the Tigers' lead was cut to 2-1, but only 57 seconds remained in the game and NA held on.
Butler was able to keep the ball in NA's end of the field in the last minute and managed one final push that forced goalkeeper Julia Correa to come off her line to make a play on the ball. She did so, colliding with a Butler player and falling to the ground with possession to end Butler's chances.
“It was a 50/50 ball that she knew she had to win,” NA coach Chuck Kelley said of Correa. “We're disappointed because we wanted a shutout, but Butler is a good team and this is a tough place to play. We're glad to get out of here with a win.
“For the six minutes before their goal, we were just weathering the storm,” he added.
Aside from Morgan Anderson's goal in the 53rd minute that put the Tigers (6-2, 3-1) up 2-0, the field was tilted in Butler's favor in the second half. The team earned three corner kicks and several throw-ins and free kicks near NA's goal.
“When our forwards are dangerous, it takes pressure off of our back four,” Butler coach Steve Perri said. “I thought that was the case in the second half.”
Butler totaled five corner kicks in the game.
“Before the game, if I would've known that we were going to create as many scoring chances as we did, I would've said we win tonight 3-1,” said Perri. “I just wish we could have been stronger with the final ball (of possessions).”
The Tigers broke a scoreless tie when junior midfielder Alex Adams took a pass from the left of the net in the 13th minute and booted a shot that sailed over Butler goalie Anna Voelker and just below the crossbar.
Voelker ended the game with five saves and was forced to come off her line several times to stop breakaway chances by the Tigers.
“We had some breakdowns on defense, but NA has a fantastic front three. I don't want to take anything away from what they did well tonight. We dealt with it the best we could,” Perri said.
The Tornado (4-4, 2-2) threatened to tie the game in the 28th minute. Emma Weiss took a free kick from 35 yards and Emily Fleeger headed the ball, but NA goalie Olivia Ruppersberger made the save.
Ruppersberger played the first half and made six saves. Correa tallied five stops in the second half.
“It's not normal for teams to play with two goalkeepers,” admitted Kelley, “but they are equal in ability and both played well tonight.”
Butler has a non-section game against Hampton scheduled for Saturday. The Tornado return to Section 1-AAAA play at Seneca Valley on Monday.
“Are we playing well enough to make the playoffs?,” asked Perri. “Yes, but at that point it comes down to where we fall into that mix. Any of these four teams (Pine-Richland, North Allegheny, Seneca Valley and Butler) could finish first or fourth in the section.”
The top four teams in the section will compete in the WPIAL playoffs next month.
