Triplett's goal lifts Warrior girls past Colonels

By JERRY HOLSWORTH SPECIAL TO THE STAR | The Winchester Star

WINCHESTER — With 7:15 left on the clock and Sherando locked in a 2-2 girls’ soccer with James Wood, Warrior forward Megan Triplett took a throw-in and shot it between two defenders past Colonels goalkeeper Claire Beccaccio from 15 yards out to propel Sherando to a 3-2 victory.

“I just turned and put it towards the goal,” Triplett said. “This was really tough game. We had to fight hard the whole way through. I thought in the end we worked harder and that was the difference.”

The win snaps a four-game winning streak by the Colonels (5-6-1) and sets up a critical match for the Warriors (9-4-1) with Handley next Thursday for seeding in the Conference 21 West tournament. A win would give the Warriors the No. 2 seed.

“Both teams worked real hard during this game,” Sherando coach Rob Kilmer said. “I was very proud of our girls for getting the win. You have to give both defenses a lot of credit. Wood played well. They were on a four-game winning streak. We knocked off a really good team.”

Triplett’s goal ended a fierce struggle between the county rivals that featured very few shots on goal. Both teams combined for just five shots in the first half.

The Warriors did not have a shot until scoring midway through the half. Katie Price took a shot from 20 yards out that ricocheted off Beccaccio’s hand onto Baltimore’s foot who tapped it from a yard out to put Sherando up 1-0.

“Our coach has always told us to be there and see what happens,” Baltimore said. “I was there and I tapped into the net.”

Wood’s only shot up to that point — by Kaylah Gankiewicz — had hit the crossbar. The Colonels’ next shot was something entirely different.

With eight minutes left in the half, Katie Padgett took a pass from Gankiewicz, then tore loose on a breakaway. Padgett bear Warriors goalkeeper Kara Hendren from 10 yards out to tie the score 1-1.

“Kaylah played an awesome ball forward,” Padgett said. “I got it and was able to get it past their goalkeeper.”

Gankiewicz wasted little time getting things started in the second half, hammering a ball at Hendren just two minutes in only to watch the Sherando goalkeeper make a brilliant save.

Hendren couldn’t stop the next challenge to her goal five minutes later. Padgett maneuvered past several Warrior defenders in the penalty area and then booted the ball past Hendren from five yards out to put Wood up 2-1.

“I had to beat one of their defenders and I got a lucky bounce and then finished it,” Padgett said. “This game was really intense. We didn’t quite get the result we wanted but I’m really proud of my team.”

Two minutes later, Hannah Given almost made it a two-goal margin, but her shot was stopped on a dazzling save from Hendren.

The Warriors got the equalizer on a free kick. Lauren Heskett lofted in shot from 40 yards out with 28 minutes left to tie the score 2-2.

Neary Casebolt had the same opportunity for Wood just two minutes later, but her free kick from 30 yards out just missed. The Colonels got another golden opportunity with 10 minutes left when Gankiewicz sent a hard shot at the Warrior goal from close range, but Hendren made her third brilliant save of the half, setting up Triplett’s heroics just three minutes later.

“I really feel sorry for our girls,” Wood coach Jim Carden said. “They played their guts out. I don’t think there is much more that they could have done. It was a back and forth game to the whole way.”