Bay withstands Arnold in District 2-4A title match

SPRINGFIELD - All good trilogies need a good dose of drama.

It took two overtimes and two shootouts for Bay to oust pesky Arnold in the District 2-4A girls soccer tournament championship at the Vera Shamplain Sports Complex on Friday. The victory secured Bay’s third straight district championship, all of them coming against county rival Arnold.

Bay (15-6-1) hosts Pensacola Washington, a 1-0 loser to Gulf Breeze in the District 1-4A final, in next week’s regional opener. Washington has defeated Bay in each of the last three regional quarterfinal matches. Arnold (9-8-2) plays at Gulf Breeze in its regional opener.

Bay’s Anna Beth Nelson sealed the outcome in the second shootout after the teams tied 3-3 in the first penalty-kick phase. She squeezed the ball into the left side of the net past Arnold keeper Maggie Gardner for the winner to end the second shootout 3-2.

Ashley Ihsaki and Ragan Holland scored for Arnold in the second shootout. Bay keeper Suzie Turnage, who made 11 saves, knocked Rachel Blais’ attempt over the crossbar and Corrin Stinson’s effort went high on Arnold’s fourth shot.

All Nelson needed was a goal to end the second set of penalty kicks. Gardner, who snared 12 saves, was a shade late in moving over and couldn’t prevent Bay’s streak from continuing.

“I was so nervous,” Nelson said. “I really couldn’t think of anything.”

Nelson said she didn’t make a conscious decision to pinpoint the left side, even though Sarah Beasty used the same corner to tie the shootout 2-2 moments earlier. Bay’s Cara Stinson also had Gardner thinking left, but she poked it in to the right to open Bay’s second shootout scoring.

“I didn’t know what I was going to do before I kicked it, honestly,” Nelson said. “It just kind of happened.”

Nothing happened for either team through the first 100 minutes of play. Bay outshot Arnold 13-9 through regulation and the two 10-minute overtime sessions, but it was the Marlins who had consistent pressure.

“We felt that it was playing into their favor,” Bay coach Blythe Carpenter said. “The longer they stuck around the more momentum would be on their side.”

Arnold coach Angie Rice would have liked to keep playing overtimes until someone scored. She doesn’t believe shootouts are the best option.

“I hate PKs,” she said. “It really doesn’t show who the true team is, you know?”

The factual basis of the statement aside, Bay was the winner after taking Arnold’s best shot.

“Arnold is a good team and they fought hard,” Carpenter said.

Rice hopes the Marlins intensity continues next week.

“We’ve been playing like this since Christmas break,” she said. “We’ve been coming back and playing hard for two weeks. What’s another week?”