MORGANTOWN – Built on Grit.
That was the slogan Morgantown girls lacrosse head coach Brian Reed chose for his team this season, and late in last night’s WVSLA quarterfinal playoff match against traditional rival Fairmont Senior at Pony Lewis Field, trailing 10-9 and facing a Polar Bear free shot with just two minutes left in their season, they needed every bit of grit they had left.
And somehow, in the space of four desperate, intense minutes, the Mohigans got the critical save they needed from senior goalie Charlize Davis, the game-tying goal from senior captain Leina Cummings, and with 1:43 showing on the overtime clock, the sudden-death game winner from senior Emmy Leshko to survive and advance in an 11-10 thriller.
Heading into the game, the main question on everyone’s mind was obvious: which teams would show up? Would it be the Mohigans capable of a dominating 15-2 win against FSHS at home in March, or the amped up Polar Bears from April, who beat MHS 8-7 two weeks ago?
The answer? Both, as their classic battle for playoff survival was just about as even as it could be, with the Mohigans in the lead for a total of 16 minutes, the Polar Bears in front for 16 minutes, and the score tied for 16 minutes during regulation.
The game itself mirrored the season series, with Morgantown (9-6) jumping out to a 3-0 lead early in the second quarter, only to see Fairmont Senior (8-8) score five unanswered goals to take a two-goal lead with 41 seconds left before the break.
But Leshko, who opened the scoring in the first quarter, scooped a loose ball and buried a shot from in front with only 9 seconds remaining in the half to bring MHS to within one, 5-4.
Leshko scored a minute into the second half to tie it up, and then the lead see-sawed back and forth throughout the third period.
The Polar Bears, led by junior middie Ayla Lilly, and hat tricks from freshman Emma Yates and senior Jocelyn O’Brien, were countered by Leshko and fellow senior Natalia Martinez, until Lilly scored after a long solo run with 17 seconds left to give Fairmont a 10-9 lead heading into the final frame.
And there the score remained for 10 tense minutes until the Mohigans mustered their late heroics. When asked about the winning goal, her seventh of the game, Leshko admitted that, despite scoring a post-season overtime goal last year, she was still terrified.
“Overtime is still scary, because somebody’s season is going to end,” she said, still bouncing with excitement, “but it’s also so exciting and fun – it’s the reason we all love the game, for those moments. We wanted possession on the draw, and Leina won it for us, but since they were double-teaming me a lot, we called a different play, so I backed off. But a ground ball came to me behind the net, and I drove around the edge and shot high to the far corner, and it went in.
“I really believe that our late comeback was because we believe in each other so much, “ she continued. “We have 12 seniors, and this team is so close. We all pull for each other, and we really feel like we can make it to the State finals.”
After the game, Reed was effusive in his praise for both teams.
“That was just a great game between two great rivals,” he said. “Fairmont Senior has come so far so fast under Coach (Angie) Mayer, and their sliding defense really gave us fits all night. We knew this would be a big test for us, and it sure was – and then some.
“I think we got away from our game in the second quarter,” he explained. “We started to press a little and turned it over too much. We finally got them to calm down and settle into our offense sets in the third quarter. We stressed all week in practice to take quality shots and not force it, and it eventually paid off late in the game and in overtime. I’m just so proud of our whole team, their fight, determination, and effort, and how we never quit. And we’ll need all of that to get through Buckhannon-Upshur and get to Charleston.”
The Mohigans will face top-seeded Buckhannon-Upshur on the road, with day and time TBD.
