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By Nate Ritchey
nritchey@altoonamirror.com
Bishop Guilfoyle Academy and Central met in the first week of the regular season with the Lady Dragons winning a close one at home.
Both teams have played many matches in the nearly six weeks since and have logged plenty of wins as they both entered with identical records.
As they finish up the regular season, Thursday night's match at Tom Irwin Field provided a playoff-type atmosphere and level of play from both squads that will serve both teams well once District 6 playoffs begin.
Emma Marasco's goal with just over a minute remaining in the second overtime lifted Bishop Guilfoyle to a 4-3 win over Central.
"When we played them (Central) the first time, they certainly outplayed us -- we've been talking about it all week," Bishop Guilfoyle coach Joe DeLeo said. "... We said, 'look, we know we can hang with them, we didn't give our best effort the first time.' I want a lot of intensity, and I couldn't have been prouder. The intensity was up the whole way through the second overtime."
Hailey DeGol chipped a ball over the midfielders, and once Lady Dragon defender Julia Bowser fell trying to settle the ball, Marasco secured it, took two dribbles and beat Central goalkeeper Kailyn Gahagan with 1:03 left to play.
"You take whatever breaks you can get, and that was unfortunate for them (the defender falling)," DeLeo said. "But we did have two girls back there, so if she hadn't fallen, who knows what would have played out."
Central found the back of the net first when a chipped ball over the top allowed Lakkyn Dibert to blow past the defense where the senior got to the ball just before charging BG goalkeeper Cece Rumfola.
Dibert's shot deflected off Rumfola and bounced behind the Lady Marauder sophomore. That was where Dibert's momentum carried her past the keeper and to the ball where she tapped the ball across the line for a 1-0 Lady Dragon lead at 32:07 of the first.
After nearly missing on a direct kick about a minute prior, BG capitalized on another chance as Catie Cammarata lifted a high ball from about 40 yards out to the right side that Gahagan got her hands on but couldn't secure.
Marasco claimed the loose ball and carried it into the goal to knot the contest at 1-1 with 28:07 showing on the clock.
"I thought we pressured the ball the whole game," DeLeo said.
The Lady Scarlet Dragons had seven shots on goal in the first 40 minutes to four by Bishop Guilfoyle.
BG took a lead just over five minutes into the second half as Paxton DeLeo delivered a corner kick, the first of the night for the Marauders, across the mouth of the goal where Delaney Lechner was waiting unmarked to head the ball in.
Central drew even at 22:29 when Kira Trexler dribbled from left-to-right across the middle of the 18 and ripped at shot that ricocheted off Rumfola, who was coming out to contest, and went in the left side for a 2-2 score.
"I told them (Central), let's treat it like it's a playoff game because this is getting to the point and time where everything's got to feel that way," Central coach Randy Trexler said. "I think it was the best I have ever seen them play just in terms of effort and work rate."
The Lady Dragons reclaimed the advantage at 15:38 when Rachel Theys uncorked a throw-in that found the foot of Brittany Bartley, who two-touch passed it to Dibert who made a 45-degree run by her defender before knocking it by Rumfola for a 3-2 lead.
BG got a gift in the box as it was awarded a penalty kick that Lechner sailed over the hands of Gahagan into the top middle of the goal to tie the contest at 3-3 with 9:47 remaining.
The Lady Marauders nearly ended the match twice in the last minute as a shot sailed just wide right of the goal around the minute mark.
The second came in the last seconds as Lechner delivered a pass to DeGol, who rifled a shot that went just by the keeper's hands and out of play with no time left in regulation.
BG got an indirect kick opportunity in the box three minutes into the first OT but too many Central bodies gave the low-lined shot attempt no chance of squeezing through.
Central had two corner kick chances in the last two minutes but neither proved dangerous as the Marauders cleared them out.
"In our huddle, you wouldn't have felt that we lost," Coach Trexler said. "Everybody was really excited about how they played. They all know they played really well, and I think this is just going to lead us into the next game."
Prior to the game-winning goal, a BG corner was the only valid scoring opportunity either teams had but Paxton DeLeo's kick went too deep.
Bishop Guilfoyle improved to 11-3-1, while Central dropped to 10-4-1.
SCORE BY HALVES
Central 1 2 0 0 — 3
Bishop Guilfoyle 1 2 0 1– 4
First half: C--Dibert (unassisted), 32:07; BG--Marasco (unassisted), 28:07.
Second half: BG--Lechner (DeLeo), 34:24; C--Trexler (unassisted), 22:29; C--Dibert (Bartley), 15:38; BG--Lechner (penalty kick), 9:47.
First overtime: none.
Second overtime: BG--Marasco (unassisted), 1:03.
Goalies: Central -- Gahagan: 11 saves, 15 shots on goal; Bishop Guilfoyle -- Rumfalo: 10 saves, 13 shots on goal.
Shots: Central 18, Bishop Guilfoyle 21.
Corner kicks: Central 5, Bishop Guilfoyle 3.
Records: Central (10-4-1); Bishop Guilfoyle (11-3-1).