Bauer’s late goal helps Golden Warriors tie Duchesses
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| Sterling goalkeeper Briana Jungnickel covers up the ball as Dixon's Kayla Wilson tries to score during Tuesday's match at A.C. Bowers Field. The match ended in a 2-2 tie. (Philip Marruffo/pmarruffo@saukvalley.com) |
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DIXON – Sterling coach Brian Cebula gathered his players near the south goal at A.C. Bowers Field for his traditional postgame speech, but had something a bit different to say.
“Give yourselves a round of applause,” Cebula told the Golden Warriors after they forged a 2-2 tie against Dixon on Tuesday night.
Sterling (2-14-3, 0-7-2 Northern Illinois Big 12) has lost five matches by one goal this season, and it appeared No. 6 was on the way until
Kaitlyn Bauer’s goal with 5
minutes to play knotted the score. Neither team threatened down the stretch.
“We’ve had a lot of very close matches,” Cebula said, “so I don’t really think our record accurately depicts how our season has been. These girls are in every game that they play and they give 100 percent all game. Today, we were lucky enough to get that tying goal with 5 minutes left and hold out for the tie.
“It’s exciting for the girls, especially coming to Dixon on their senior night.”
The vast majority of the second half was played on Sterling’s side of the field, but the Golden Warriors made the most of one dump-and-chase opportunity. A long pass ended with Bauer beating one Dixon defender to the ball and a one-on-one opportunity against Duchesses goalie Danielle Echartea.
Echartea got a piece of the shot from about 10 yards, but it slowly trickled toward the net. Bauer prevented another Dixon defender from batting the ball away before it crossed the line.
“I saw a girl right there and I was like, ‘Oh shoot,’ “ Bauer said. “I just kind of stayed there and guarded it. It was so exciting.”
Dixon (11-6-2, 5-3-2) was in position to win after Erika Taylor scored her second goal of the season with 27 minutes, 42 seconds remaining in the second half. A scrum near the Dixon goal ended with Taylor having the ball about 20 yards away and to the left of the goal. She lofted a shot over a host of players and into the right side of the net.
“I kicked it and I thought it was going to go over the bar,” Taylor said. “I was just really happy when it went in.”
Allison DeArvil gave Dixon a 1-0 lead with her 21st goal of the season less than four minutes into the game.
Sterling’s Allie Johnson responded with a goal with 15:43 remaining in the first half. Johnson was the recipient of a tripping penalty in the box by Duchesses defender Abbey Dempsey. Johnson’s penalty kick was stopped by Echartea, but she quickly knocked in the rebound to tie the score 1-1.
Echartea made a number of spectacular saves to put the Duchesses in a position to win.
“Sterling played outstanding,” Dixon coach Mahmoud Etemadi said, “and if it was not because of Danielle, they could have won the game. Their breakaways were good, their forwards were quick, but Danielle saved a couple of good balls and kept us in the game.
“We could have played better, but Sterling played good and I think it was a fair outcome.”
Star of the game: Kaitlyn Bauer, Sterling, game-tying goal
Key performers: Allison DeArvil, Dixon, 1 goal; Erika Taylor, Dixon, 1 goal; Allie Johnson, Sterling, 1 goal
Up next: Kaneland at Sterling, 6 p.m. today; Dixon vs. United Township, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Geneseo
