She didn’t give herself another option. She had to finish.
Locked in a scoreless game in the 78th minute of the Class 4 District 10 championship, Nixa’s Daley Townsend found teammate Alex Johnson in the box. Johnson did the rest.
“I had to finish,” said the Nixa junior. “Daley sent an amazing ball in, and I had to finish. It was just too perfect not to.”
Johnson’s goal lifted Nixa to its fourth consecutive district championship—a 1-0 winner over top-seed Kickapoo at Kickapoo’s Pottenger Stadium on Thursday night. They’ll meet Lebanon on Tuesday, May 24 in sectionals.
“We had run a play previously, and I knew that spot was going to be open,” Johnson said. “I came (into the box), saw Daley, she made a beautiful cross, and I was so open I just had to make it. I settled it, took a shot, and luckily far post in and the goalie couldn’t keep it out.”
The late goal dashed Kickapoo’s season in cruel fashion, spoiling a solid effort from the Chiefs.
“They’re a fantastic team,” Nixa coach Evan Palmer said. “It just sucks that it’s a district final. We have three great teams (Nixa, Kickapoo, Ozark) in this district, and we’re so fortunate to come out of it. An incredible end to the game.”
Kickapoo had great chances on Thursday, but Nixa keeper Hannah Todd was tough. In the 69th, midfielder Alyson Reinold crossed around a Nixa defender in the box and sent in a brilliant left-footed shot, but Todd’s diving save kept the game level.
“I thought for sure that was going in,” Palmer said. “Your goalie has to come up and make saves in games like this, and she did it.”
Nixa’s Chloe Cash thought she had found the net in the 60th, but her strike from 30 yards out banged off the crossbar. Both teams had few great chances to score, which is why Johnson felt the urgency when her opportunity came.
“We could not have done it without all of us working together,” Johnson said. “I’m so proud of this team.”
Nixa played without two starters—senior defender Brooke Lannutti and freshman midfielder Erin Crawford. Both were sidelined with injury for the entire district tournament.
“We’ve had to have girls step up,” Palmer said. “They’ve played incredible, incredible soccer.”
Nixa 0 1 1
Kickapoo 0 0 0
Goals
Nixa 77:43: Alex Johnson, assist Daley Townsend
