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Tied 2-2 with visiting South Iredell in the first round of the 2-A state playoffs, overtime appeared on the horizon to settle the score. But in a gut-wrenching turn of events, the Lady Vikings scored a goal in the final 15 seconds to move forward, while the Lady Panthers stood in stunned silence.
“It is a round ball that bounces,” said Ledford coach Matt Doyle. “What are you going to do? In the end, it is what it is.”
With a malfunctioning scoreboard for much of the evening, Ledford knew it was getting ever so close to overtime. So did Iredell. In a haste to find the back of the net, Allison Malo fired a shot that found its way to paydirt, setting off a celebration on the far side. Seconds after the ball was put back in play, the whistle blew and a dream of winning a playoff game vanished for the Lady Panthers.
Two minutes into the second half Ledford took a 2-1 lead on a Sam Young cross that streaking Julie Baker buried in the goal, swinging momentum fully on the home side.
But after that tally the offense simply vanished for Ledford, as the Lady Vikings produced run after run. None of them ever crossed the goal line, but the 73rd minute brought about a change that would set up the heroics of Malo.
Amanda Comer was fouled in the box to set up a penalty shot. Sweeper Rachel Gibson approached the ball and struck a liner to the left. Goalie Grace Lackey nearly got to it in time, but it whizzed by to tie the score.
“Painful,” said Doyle in regards to the sequence that tied the game. “I actually thought Grace had it until I saw her roll over.”
Ledford struggled to even get the ball on its side of the field over the waning moments, and a postseason that had plenty of promise would soon screech to a halt in the last minute.
“We weren’t moving the ball well second half and we weren’t pressuring,” said Doyle. “It was almost like we were sitting, and in the playoffs you can’t wait because they will bring it to you.”
Though not how Doyle envisioned the season ending, there was nothing but joy in his mind for the way his team got significantly better from a season ago.
“They improved from last year and they worked their tails off,” he said. “I am proud of them.”
In the first half Iredell took the lead 18 minutes in following up a ball crossed to the middle for a score.
Ledford had a chance moments before that with Young firing a long shot with the keeper out, but the ball deflected off the post and was cleared out.
The Lady Panthers were able to tie the game at 1-1 just before the half. Amanda Stapleton centered a ball that was misplayed by the Iredell defense. The side-spin on the ball carried it over to the awaiting Kelsey Gilliam, who unleashed a shot to the far post for the equalizer.
Ledford ends its season with a record of 10-7.