Crown Point girls fall in soccer semistate semifinals

FORT WAYNE | Crown Point played even with South Bend St. Joseph's for 80 minutes, but the defending state champions found an extra gear in overtime.

Rachel Staud scored a goal in each overtime period, as the Indians beat the Bulldogs 3-1 in a Class 2A Fort Wayne Snider Semistate semifinal Saturday.

"These kids came out and fought hard and got to overtime," Crown Point coach Chris Mikrut said. "If you can go 94 minutes with these guys and keep them to one goal, it's a great accomplishment. They found some little extra energy at the end."

Staud's game-winner came in the 86th minute when she found a loose ball in front of the net and put it into the goal. Abigail Toth made a run into the 18-yard box that set up Staud's goal.

Staud added a goal in the 90th minute when she moved into the box and made a move around Crown Point's Kelsey Shoemaker and put a shot into the open net.

Sarah Rivich put the Bulldogs ahead in the fifth minute on a shot from 22 yards out.

Amy Adams took a corner kick for the Bulldogs, and the ball bounced out to Rivich, who sent a shot toward the upper-left corner of the goal. St. Joseph's keeper Melissa Kuhar was able to get her fingertips on the ball, but could not keep it out of the net.

"As banged up as that kid is, what she did today was pretty amazing," Mikrut said of Rivich. "I don't think she came out of the game. She played 94 minutes, and we didn't know if she'd be able to go today."

Lindsey Kuitse tied the game at 1-1 just 43 seconds into the second half on a penalty kick. The opportunity came after Staud was taken down inside the box. Kuitse put the shot past Shoemaker into the lower left corner of the net.

"It was huge, because we didn't have anything else the second half," St. Joseph's coach Johan Kuitse said.

The Indians (18-3), ranked eighth in the state, had two good chances to take the lead in regulation, but Shoemaker made the save both times.

Jessica Hall took a shot from 22 yards that Shoemaker punched over the crossbar in the 45th minute, and Shoemaker knocked away a header attempt by Madison Turner in the 85th minute.

Shoemaker finished with seven saves. The Indians had a 10-6 edge in shots on goal.

"Their goalie was the difference in the match," Kuitse said. "If she has an average game, we score four goals in regulation."

The Bulldogs, whose season ends at 16-5, reached the semistate for the second time in school history.

"We had great support from the community and the school. It was definitely something special for us, and something to build on," Mikrut said. "It was a great season. We're real proud of the kids."

"It was special that we could all work together so hard to get this far," Shoemaker said. "I think we really deserved to be here."

In the other semistate opening-round game, Hamilton Southeastern beat Leo 5-1.