Eighty minutes of regulation play, 10 minutes of overtime and five penalty kicks in a shootout still weren’t enough to separate Caldwell County and Hopkins County Central in the first game of the girls’ 7th District soccer tournament on Tuesday.
Not until Emma Vandiver converted on the Lady Storm’s seventh PK attempt did Hopkins Central finally subdue the Lady Tigers 1-0 and advance to Thursday’s district championship match in Mortons Gap.
Hopkins Central (7-11) dictated play for much of the night and kept Caldwell from generating much offense. The Lady Storm held a 25-6 advantage in shots over 90 minutes of action.
The Lady Tigers recorded just two shots after halftime.
Caldwell (9-8) stayed in the game behind 12 saves from goalkeeper Abbey Gill, although the Lady Storm just missed a potential winning goal in the 75th minute when a shot rang off the right post.
Gill also stopped a free kick from just outside the top of the box in the 36th minute.
Savannah Barnett recorded four saves for Hopkins Central. Caldwell’s best scoring chance in the contest came in the 33rd minute when a shot from the right side sailed wide of the net.
The Lady Tigers had a chance to win the shootout in the fifth round. Up 3-2, a make would have given Caldwell a 4-2 triumph in the shootout, but the attempt went over the bar.
Hopkins Central’s Joely Mitchell then made her attempt to tie the shootout at 3-3, forcing extra rounds.
Barnett stopped Caldwell’s next attempt, but the Lady Storm then missed a potential game-winner over the net.
Caldwell’s seventh PK try missed to the left before Vandiver found the net for the winner.
Hopkins Central had won the regular-season matchup between the two teams 2-0.
The Lady Tigers lead the all-time series 32-8 but Hopkins Central has won five of the last six matchups.
The Lady Storm will next face top-seeded Madisonville-North Hopkins (8-8-1) in Thursday’s 5:30 p.m. championship game.
Both Hopkins Central and Madisonville will play in the 2nd Region tournament next week.
