By Tyler Thompson (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
NIXA, Mo. — The Nixa Lady Eagles (17-4) had a loaded arsenal who were primed for a deep run last year.
Well, last year never happened.
Two off-seasons were enough, so the Eagles ratcheted up the intensity in preparation for this season.
The hard work and diligence paid off as the top-seeded Eagles authored a late comeback for the 3-2 win against Republic for the Class 4 District 11 title Thursday at Nixa.
Battling the horrific windy and wet elements, a 30-minute lightning delay, and down one goal with roughly 15 minutes remaining in regulation, the Eagles left it all on the saturated turf.
Senior Katie Kamies — a team captain — fought for the loose ball and found the net with 7:45 remaining.
Prior to that, roughly seven minutes earlier, freshman Bella Johnson found the net, knotting up the match, 2-2.
“We worked together really well this year,” said Kamies. “We have come together really well. We came to districts really hyped and ready to go.”
The Eagles swapped formations on this night, as the opening half didn’t yield a goal under the 4-3-3 attack.
Republic never trailed in the match until the waning minutes, as senior and William Jewell signee, Clara Fronabarger (34 goals this season) found the net in each half for the visiting Tigers— forcing Palmer to operate on the fly.
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“We had to change from a 4-3-3 to a 3-5-2,” Nixa veteran head coach Evan Palmer said. “We were able to get more chances going forward. We were able to push up a bit more. This is a high IQ team.”
The Eagles — fresh off halftime — found the net on Abby Harrison’s penalty kick just three minutes into the second half.
“We had a little hiccup there in the first half, but we figured it out in the second and were able to pull away,” said Kamies.
Republic was enjoying the momentum, up 2-1, when lightning hit the area.
Good for Nixa, but not so much for the visitors.
“The delay definitely helped us. We all came together and were like: ‘This could be our last game,’” said Kamies. “It was like, ‘Let’s give it everything we have.’ And I think we did that. We knew they [Republic] had the momentum.”
Nixa appeared to have gone through a manifestation throughout the second half, putting together solid runs and finding the holes in the defense: a defense that kept the Eagles’ offense at bay for nearly 50 minutes.
Added Kamies: “That is what we tried to do … top their momentum. We were down and needed to come out strong.”
A little more than two weeks ago, the Eagles shut out the Tigers, 5-0.
The lopsided win gave false optimism to the Eagles who, per Kamies, may have overlooked the Tigers’ tough defensive attack coming into the postseason tilt.
“I am not going to lie. I think we came in a little cocky,” said Kamies. “I think, the second half, we leveled our heads a bit.”
The Eagles have 19 upperclassmen this season and missing the 2020 campaign due to the pandemic makes this win a bit sweeter for Kamies and company.
“This year is special for us,” the senior said. “We wanted to win, especially since we lost at districts our sophomore year.”
Nixa now prepares for Lee’s Summit West for next Tuesday’s sectional round.
“They are a physical, tactical team,” Palmer said. “We have to be on our game.”
Nixa will host the sectional tilt Tuesday, but an official time has yet to be determined.
Nixa is 0-2 against the Titans since 2017.
Scoring:
Nixa: Johnson (1); Harrison (1); Kamies (1).
Republic: Fronabarger (2).
