CULLMAN – Forty minutes was not enough time for the Westminster Christian-Cullman girls’ soccer game, so it came down to a shootout, and the Lady Bearcats were on the short end of it, falling 5-4 to the Lady Wildcats.
Early on, Westminster Christian was in attack mode, just missing out on a goal less than a minute into the game as it hit off the top crossbar. They continued that mode in the first half, missing out on multiple goals. They more than doubled the shot attempts over Cullman in the half, but they could not buy a goal. With 4:33 left in the half, Hannah Bircheat got knocked down by a Lady Wildcat defender and was awarded a penalty kick. She put it in with no contest from the goalkeeper to put Cullman on the scoreboard, which was the only goal of the half.
The Lady Wildcats kept that same tempo when halftime ended, and they finally got a goal when McKenzie Nowan shot from the left side of the net and it landed past the outstretched arms of Ashley Uphold on the right side to tie the game at one with only 4:20 coming off the clock. Each team had a chance to take the lead, but each goaltender came up with some great saves, and there were missed shots on multiple opportunities. The game ended with the score still knotted up at one.
The first player for both sides missed; then they went back and forth on their next two shots to tie it up at two. Reagan Wilkerson gave Westminster Christian a 3-2 lead in the shootout after Cullman missed. Each team made their next three shots to tie the shootout at four. Westminster Christian had a chance to win it on their last shot attempt, and Andrea Lindsay nailed it to win the shootout for the Lady Wildcats, 5-4.
Westminster Christian improved to 14-4 on the season and will travel to American Christian Academy on Saturday at 5 p.m.; then will finish the season at home against West Point next Tuesday at 5 p.m.
Cullman fell to 16-5-1 on the season. They finish the season dropping three of their final four games. They will start their quest for a state title on the 29th as they take a trip to Southside-Gadsden in the first round of the playoffs, looking to shake off a rough ending to the season.
Copyright 2017 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
