INDIANAPOLIS
Maggie Marlin couldn’t have scripted her first career goal any better.
Center Grove salvaged a 1-1 tie at Brebeuf Jesuit on Wednesday night after Marlin, a senior defender, delivered a header off Hayley Smith’s corner kick 37 minutes, 9 seconds into the second half.
The deadlock puts the Trojans, ranked 11th in Class 3A, at 10-4-3 entering next Tuesday’s first-round match against Greenwood at the Columbus East Sectional.
Brebeuf, which sits at No. 9 in 2A, is 5-8-2.
Marlin, a first-year varsity player having previously played club soccer year-round, made herself a memory sure to endure.
“It was just super tense the last five minutes of the game,” Marlin said. “As a defender, any chance to get in the box, I take it. I saw where (Smith) kicked it on the first one, and we luckily got a second one, and I followed it through.
“It means a lot to be able to take it in and score. I want to show that even as a defender, I can be a good player on all sides of the ball.”
The teams battled to a scoreless tie through the first 40 minutes, with the Braves attempting 11 shots on goal to Center Grove’s two.
“In the first half, our intention was to try to build the game and play a different way, and be more technical with our build-up play,” Trojans coach Myron Vaughn said. “Sometimes when you do that, it’s the risk-reward of playing that way.
“Sometimes you give away opportunities when you give away possession, and we can live with that. Obviously, we’re trying to play and trying to build something for the next month.”
Only 3:41 into the second half, Braves sophomore defender Ava Soloria’s corner kick found junior forward Aly Arena, whose header past the reach of Trojan goalkeeper Anderson Broshears made it 1-0.
Center Grove had no fewer than four good looks at the other half of the pitch from 14:55 to 33:10 into the second half of play — including two from Smith from the left side that sailed high and just left of the Braves’ goal. In between Smith’s offerings were sophomore Mia Marlin going wide from the right side, and classmate Lexi Wilson doing likewise.
Then, with time winding down, Smith and Maggie Marlin teamed to get the Trojans on the board. Center Grove attempted seven shots on goal the second half to four for the Braves.
Vaughn, whose squad was 1-2-2 over its previous five matches, feels the Trojans readied themselves for sectional by playing a quality opponent to a standstill on the road.
“Overall, I was happy with the team defending,” he said. “We had a lot of movement, and different players playing in our back line today, but we maintained really good defensive discipline. I think the one moment that we didn’t was on the corner kick they scored on, and that’s something that we have not done literally the entire season. That was a little off for us, but I was really happy with the character we showed to find the goal to even up the game.”
