The Gators
gave themselves a chance to win their second straight state championship by making
Kyla Ferry’s first-half goal stand up against Chandler Hamilton for a 1-0
victory. It was the second 1-0 victory for the Gators over Hamilton this
season.
Top-seeded
Xavier advances to Saturday’s (Feb. 10) 11 a.m. title game against No. 2
Gilbert Perry at Campo Verde. Perry (22-2) handed the Gators (14-3-2) one of
their losses, 3-0, on Jan. 9 at Perry. Perry advanced by defeating Phoenix
Pinnacle on penalty kicks 5-3 after a 1-1 tie in regulation and overtime.
Hamilton had
several good chances to score in the semi, but was stopped by Xavier senior
goalkeeper Kinsey Ehmann or was whistled for offside on a few other occasions while
trying to get a step in front of the blue and white-clad Gators.
As the
first-half clock began to wind down, Xavier needed a spark.
It came from
just about out of nowhere when sophomore Jocelyn Rupp sent a high-arcing ball
toward the goal on a free kick. It came down just to the right of the goal and
the ball was re-directed to Ferry, who was standing near the front of the net.
Ferry was
able to send the ball past the goalkeeper and Xavier had a 1-0 lead with 6:48
left in the half.
Asked about
the play afterward, Ferry said, “The ball came in and I think Abby (Hubbard,
senior) headed the ball over and it landed right in front of me. Fortunately, I
was able to finish it off. I was thinking, “Thank you for the gift.’ ’’
In the
second half, Xavier became more aggressive, particularly on defense. Hamilton
still had its chances, but had to work much harder for them.
Ferry, a
junior who has committed to Colorado, is listed as a forward but is versatile
enough to play in other spots, particularly midfield, where XCP coach Barb
Chura had her working some of the time against Hamilton.
“We learned
that (versatility) when she was a freshman. She was all over the place,’’ Chura
said. “She has that ability to win balls in the air.’’
The coach
repeated her claim that Ferry not only is one of the best players in Arizona,
but also in the nation.
The contest
was physical throughout, with players from both sides hitting the ground.
Some players
might turn to the official for a call, but for the most part, the Gators got up
and kept going. Freshman midfielder Olelade Adebayo was an example. She tumbled
to the ground but got right up and went after the ball.
As Hamilton
moved in for an attempt to tie, the ball headed toward the goal. It appeared
that the ball might have just enough space to get past her and into the upper
part of the net. But she jumped and reached high to flick the ball off her fingertips
and back over the net. Crisis averted.
The Huskies
rushed the net again as the game slipped away. They had another free kick and sent
the ball toward the net. This time, senior defender Nicole Hook used her height
to her advantage and headed the ball outside.
“When the
ball drops in the box, you never know what’s going to happen, so you have to be
ready,’’ Chura said.
“In the
second half, we knew it was one of those games where we were just going to have
to hold on.’’
The 2017-18
edition of the Gators is one of the more blue-collar teams Chura has had, she
said.
“The older
players have helped bring the younger ones along. They believe in them,’’ she
said.
The win took
a lot of energy out of the Gators, but they will have plenty of time to regroup.
“We worked
hard today, and we are going to try to come out and play our best on
Saturday,’’ Ferry said.
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