With under a minute left to play and Elizabethton clinging to a 1-0 lead, Sullivan South’s Rachel Philips made a play to score and give the Lady Rebels a 1-1 tie with the Lady Cyclones on Tuesday afternoon at Citizen’s Bank Stadium.
The Cyclones (5-6-1 overall, 3-2-1 conference) scored in the 61st minute on a shot by junior Cortlyn Holdren. Holdren played the ball down the home sideline before passing inside to Kim Henson who redirected the ball to Haley Burleson, cutting inside the penalty area.
Burleson’s shot was blocked by a South defender but Holdren was on the spot and drove it past Rebels goalkeeper Hope Heister for a 1-0 lead.
The first half saw EHS fritter away opportunities as the Cyclones were awarded a penalty shot just two minutes into the match on a handball call against South. Junior Linda Espino lined it up and fired a high blast that struck the crossbar and caromed away.
As the half progressed, EHS continued to apply pressure and possess the ball in the South defensive end, collecting five corner kicks. But none were close to fruition and the half ended 0-0.
“We pressed them early,” Lady Cyclones head coach Bill McClay said. “We had a PK in the second minute, had the ball go off the crossbar and had several others that were bouncing around in front of the goal. You have to make the most of your opportunities.”
Early in the second half the Cyclones had a free kick from the far sideline outside the box but nothing came of that attempt. The second of two corner kicks from Espino found Burleson in front of the keeper but her header went over the net.
South (7-4-1, 3-2-1 conference) was able to mount an attack from there and were given a corner kick by Taylor Lane. She put it right on goal, but EHS junior goalkeeper Loran Campbell made the stop inside the near post.
That’s when Holdren took control of the ball and her goal made gave the Cyclones a lead late in the contest. Both teams traded shots as Lane’s low shot attempt was fielded by Campbell and Heister was able to corral a shot by Burleson.
Espino had another free kick – this time from 25 yards out – and she sent it right on goal but it was a fairly easy handle for Heister.
Moments later, Lane took control on the home sideline in the South end. Her pass to midfield was on the foot of Philips from where she drove toward the EHS penalty area. She drove inside as Espino marked her and attempted to shade her to the outside.
Philips made a move right, but continued inside on a good move that negated Espino’s defensive position. She blasted a low shot past Campbell for the draw, as the whistle sounded less than a minute later.
“We kept control of the ball, but still we seem vulnerable to counterattack,” McClay said. “That shot came right off the heels of their keeper making a good save that would have given us a two-goal lead. That’s what happens when you don’t make the most of your chances.”