LISBON — Lisbon goalie Sarah Haggerty was on the ground, Mt. Abram was down 1-0 in the second half and Kaylee Knight was hurtling toward a wide open Greyhound net with the soccer ball.
The apprehensive sophomore striker punched in the tying goal and then scored the game-winner with 52 seconds left in a Class C South quarterfinal to provide the sixth-ranked Roadrunners (11-4-1) with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over No. 3 Lisbon on a blustery Wednesday afternoon.
Mt. Abram will play either Sacopee Valley or Monmouth in the semifinals. Those teams will play Thursday at 2:45 in Monmouth.
“I was so nervous. I know I didn’t want to mess up and I knew I didn’t want to let them down,” Knight said. “I took my time because I knew nobody was around; it worked.”
Mt. Abram senior midfielder Alice Cockerham was on a breakaway when Lisbon goalie Haggerty came out of the net to challenge. Both of them crashed to the ground and the ball got loose.
Knight, who was racing down the field just ahead of Cockerham, took possession of the ball and booted it into an exposed net with 31:18 left in the game. Cockerham was credited with the assist.
“We switched her up there,” Mt. Abram coach Lanie Roy said. “She usually is DCM (defensive center fielder). She played striker today. She has that fire in her and it showed.”
But for the next 30 minutes both teams hammered away at each other in a physical game.
Numerous opportunities came to both clubs, but there were signs that the game was heading toward overtime.
However, Knight stepped up again, and with assistance from sophomore forward Jade Davis, lofted the ball over Haggerty’s head and scored the game-winner with 52 seconds left.
“She went down for the ball and I just did it and in reaction,” Knight said. “I feel so proud of my team, myself because it is just such amazing. I wanted to do it for seniors and then we finally got that accomplishment.
“I am just so proud of my team. I am so happy we made it.”
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