After defense reigned supreme over the first 40 minutes of play at Hillcrest High School on Tuesday, Willard (11-11) managed to compromise the back line of the No. 3 seed Branson Lady Pirates (13-10-1) twice in the second half to tally a pair of goals and punch the Lady Tigers' ticket to the district title match on Thursday.
The 2-0 win served as the eighth shutout of the year for second-seeded Willard and the second against Branson, which was downed in heartbreaking fashion by the Lady Tigers by a 1-0 final in OT back on Apr. 5.
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“We knew it was going to be a defensive game and that they were going to be up for us, and they were,” Willard head coach Tim Magee said of his team's competition on Tuesday. “They gave us all that we could handle and we were fortunate.”
Willard's Joran Stout-Mitchell and Branson's Lauren Garrison defended their respective goals masterfully in the first half. Combining that with two stout back lines, both teams knew that scoring would come at an absolute premium.
Although everything remained as advertised in the opening period, junior forward Keara Maples decided to provide the game's first wrinkle with 27:42 to play in regulation – connecting for a Willard score past a diving Garrison after a pass from teammate Jessica Drennan.
“It was really a game-changer, I feel like,” Maples said of her big netter. “But I looked behind me to my team and said 'Don't put down.' We just had to keep it going.”
And keep it going, they did.
Just over ten minutes later, the Lady Tigers added a valuable insurance goal compliments of sophomore Amy Gault, who stood roughly 15 yards out when she took her shot and cashed in.
For Branson head coach Brandon Scott, Willard's second score was a byproduct of the opening goal by Maples, which dealt a considerable blow to the confidence of the Lady Pirates.
“We hung our heads for a minute and they hung a second [goal] really quick,” Scott said. “That's hard to battle back from.”
With a two-score lead, the Lady Tigers let their defense work its magic the rest of the way to secure the victory and a shot at their third straight district championship.
“They're very disciplined,” Scott added of Willard. “They don't stab a lot and they play good, solid defense. They're well-coached and a very physical team, so hats off to them.”
Republic and Willard meet in the C3 – D11 championship game on Thursday in Willard. If field conditions are deemed unsuitable for play, the match will be moved to Branson.
