HIGHLAND | Griffith tried to mount its rally in the last 10 minutes of Saturday's Class 2A girls soccer sectional, but by then Lake Central had already amassed a 4-0 lead.
The Indians captured their third straight sectional title 4-2 after a late roller coaster ride of momentum swings.
With first half goals from senior Shannon Freedom and sophomore Alisha Donovan, the Indians were in shape to tack on a couple of goals from sophomores Tarah Hamby and Sarah Triveline within the opening 10 minutes of the second half.
It was then that Griffith began to control a fair share of its own drives. The pestering offense paid off for the Panthers with a goals two minutes apart from junior Breanna Ally.
Despite the late scare, first-year Indians coach Julie Moore was pleased with her team’s efforts. An L.C. squad that has faced its fair share of obstacles all season, the team was ready for the adversity presented in a surprisingly physical matchup.
“It feels good, we overcame so many obstacles and this was another one,” Moore said. “We came into the season with a lot of doubters, and this was all about the girls and them doing what they knew they could.”
Hamby shared that sentiment.
“This win is just as gratifying as last year’s sectional victory and we are happy to be moving on,” she said.
Moore and the Indians are already looking toward a regional matchup against Duneland Athletic Conference foe Valparaiso.
“We need to focus on staying strong on defense and marked up on our assignments,” Moore said. “We had moments controlling the ball where I thought we were strong but we need to watch tape and review breakdowns to prep for regionals.”
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