Brookland-Cayce girls edged for state title in PKs
Emily Heise and the Brookland-Cayce girls’ soccer team didn’t get the storybook ending it wanted.
Indian Land goalkeeper Emma Thompson turned away Elizabeth McGee’s shot in the third round of penalty kicks to help the Warriors to a 2-1 win (5-3 in PKs) over the Bearcats on Saturday in the Class 3A state championship at Irmo’s W.C. Hawkins Stadium.
It was the Warriors’ first state championship and ends Heise’s career at B-C. The former Bearcat standout is leaving to take the coaching job with Gray Collegiate girls soccer team, along with her husband Kevin Heise, who will be the boys coach after resigning from B-C last month.
“If this team doesn’t know life isn’t fair at times, just watch that game,” Heise said. “Nobody deserved a state championship more than these girls or this program. I could think of 93,000 reasons why they deserved it over any other team. Unfortunately, it wasn’t our day. Sometimes, it just doesn’t work out for the team, no matter how much heart and effort you put it into it.”
B-C was making its first state championship appearance since 2006, when Heise was a player.
The Bearcats had chances to take the lead after the match was tied 1-1 in the 13th minute. B-C outshot Indian Land, 21-7, but Thompson was up to the challenge.
Thompson, who entered the game with 15 shutouts, finished with 13 saves and came up with her biggest moment when she stopped McGee in the third round of penalty kicks.
“It was just an intense game all together, going down to penalty kicks,” Thompson said. “It was very nerve-wracking, but it was a weight lifted when I got that stop.”
B-C played without all-state goalkeeper Alyssa Stevens, who tore her ACL in the Lower State final Monday against Bishop England. Freshman Charlotte Teeter started in goal and played well in the 110 minutes of regulation and overtimes.
But Heise put Shannon Favor in for penalty kicks. She thought the moment might be too big for the freshman, saying they practice with Favor in that spot.
Indian Land scored on all five penalty shots, including the clinching one by Emily Gerdes.
“We felt Shannon would be our best option, but who knows. I might be thinking about that the rest of my life, who knows,” Heise said.
B-C took the early lead when McGee scored in the 11th minute on an assist by Brionna Mack and Jasmine Gantt. It was her team-leading 35th goal of the season.
Indian Land tied it 2 minutes later on a breakaway by Kelsey Long.
This story was originally published May 13, 2017 at 6:46 PM with the headline "Brookland-Cayce girls edged for state title in PKs."