INDIANAPOLIS
All it took for the Greenwood Christian girls soccer team to get ignited was one goal.
By the opposing team.
After spotting International a goal, the Cougars decided to get serious and scored four unanswered to take a dominating 4-1 win over the Gryphons on Tuesday afternoon in the first round of the Class A Covenant Christian Sectional.
The Cougars (5-9-1) now advance to the final, where they will take on the winner of today’s Speedway-Covenant Christian matchup.
At first, it looked like the winless Gryphons were the ones who were aggressive and playing to win.
“The first 30 minutes of the game we did not look like we wanted this win,” Greenwood Christian coach Christina Hunter said. “It took us a while to wake up, and that’s been the story of our season.”
Hunter might have wanted to rewrite the first chapter herself.
In the second meeting between the two PAAC rivals, Greenwood Christian was definitely looking for a different ending than the first one, when a goalie switch midway in the game allowed International to salvage a 2-2 draw.
And when a slight defensive mistake 22 minutes into the game allowed the Gryphons’ Channing Bernat to slip a shot past startled senior goalkeeper Ellie Bigelow, it was looking like the Cougars season was in jeopardy, especially after some sloppy play.
The goal ended up being the wakeup call that GCA needed; three minutes later, junior Adeline Jolley scored to knot the game at 1-1.
Just five minutes after that, Greenwood Christian sophomore Izzy Cameron, who played with a broken toe, deked Gryphons goalie Caitlyn Hempstead and gently tapped ball into the net to put the Cougars in front.
Jolley scored her second of the game and sixth of the season just before halftime on a hard shot after a corner kick.
“They started playing for each other and putting a little more effort into it after that,” Hunter said.
It was pretty much keep-away from International in the second half, through sophomore Sydney Waldron tacked on an insurance goal for GCA, which has won three of four heading into Saturday’s championship game.
“Either (Speedway or Covenant Christian) will be tough,” Hunter said. “We’re trying to finish strong through all our injuries, so we’ll see what Saturday brings. We’re excited.”
