As Yogi Berra is alleged to have once said, “it was deja vu all over again.” Two years ago the Titans advanced to the State Final Four at North Central College and, after losing the semi-final to the eventual champion, they lost the third place game on penalty kicks. Fast forward to this past weekend.
On Friday, the Titans lost to the nation’s #1 ranked team and eventual state champion, Naperville North, 2-0. In Saturday’s third place game, GBS faced Downers Grove South, and with 23 minutes remaining in the game, the Titans broke a nearly 300 minute scoreless streak in State Final play when freshman Kailey Bruch knocked home a rebound to put the Titans up 1-0, sending theTitan fans into a frenzy. Unfortunately the lead only held for six minutes when the Mustangs scored a controversial goal to knot the score at 1-1. GBS then survived a barrage of corner kicks in the final ten minutes to send the game into an immediate penalty kick scenario, just like in 2010.
Colleen McDonagh and Eleni Haramaras each converted on their PK opportunities, but the Mustang goalkeeper saved two other Titan efforts, and when the fifth DGS player blasted a shot into the net, the Titans had succumbed by a 4-2 count. (In 2010, the Titans lost the PK battle 3-2, with Haramaras scoring one of the two penalties; Kelly Brait converted the other.)
Congratulations to the girls for their outstanding season.
