Grapevine girls lose state final on penalty kicks to Frisco Centennial
Grapevine’s 2-0 halftime lead was not enough when Frisco Centennial matched the effort in the second half.
Centennial completed the rally on penalty kicks as the Mustangs fell 3-2 Saturday in the UIL Class 5A girls soccer final.
Leading 3-1 on penalty kicks, Centennial (22-2-2) won the match at the Georgetown ISD Athletic Complex when Titans goalkeeper Payton Jamieson stopped the fourth-round penalty kick by Grapevine’s Jordan Slim.
It’s a cruel game. ... It’s a tale of two halves.
Grapevine coach Steve McBride
“It’s a cruel game,” Grapevine coach Steve McBride said. “When we were moving in the first half, things were going our way. It’s a tale of two halves.”
Grapevine (20-7-3) opened the scoring in the 12th minute when sophomore midfielder Sophia Smith took a pass from Slim and fired past the keeper.
The Mustangs made it 2-0 in the 31st minute when Slim redirected a well-aimed cross from freshman defender Brianna Gajewski.
Centennial ratcheted up the pressure after intermission, putting five shots on goal in the second 40 minutes, while the Mustangs managed two attempts.
“I think we just got too comfortable going into the second half with the 2-0 lead,” said Slim, a senior midfielder. “It kind of showed out there that we were too comfortable, and we weren’t pressing as much or trying to score as much as we were in the first half.”
The lull allowed Centennial, and especially forward Katelyn Termini, to dictate the pace of play. The result was two unassisted goals by Termini, in the 53rd and 77th minutes. She was named MVP of the championship game.
I think we just got too comfortable going into the second half with the 2-0 lead.
Grapevine senior midfielder Jordan Slim
Each squad mustered a total of three shots in the two 10-minute overtime periods, with Gajewski getting two for Grapevine.
During the penalty kicks, Grapevine’s Haylee Hulse converted her attempt, but Centennial’s Jamieson made saves on shots by Mac Taylor and Audrey Aulderink before Slim’s final effort.
“It was really difficult, especially knowing that we were up and that we had the game and let it slip through our fingers,” Slim said.
Eric Zarate: 817-390-7237, @zarate_eric
This story was originally published April 16, 2016 at 5:46 PM with the headline "Grapevine girls lose state final on penalty kicks to Frisco Centennial."