South Forsyth stayed deadlocked with Peachtree Ridge for 90 minutes Tuesday night at War Eagle Field, but a tense penalty kick shootout ended in heartbreak for the home team.       

When the first five penalty kicks from each team ended in a 3-3 tie, the game went into sudden death.

With South trailing 7-6, Ashley Sweinhart, the 16th player to take a kick, had her initial effort blocked by Lions keeper McCall Gardner.

But the referee said the goalkeeper was off her line during the shot, giving Sweinhart another attempt.

The second attempt pulled wide, though, sparking a celebration by the Lady Lions players huddled at the halfway line.  
“Our players played extremely well and it came down to us making the final kick,” said South coach Tom Braun. “The best players in the world miss them.”

It took 12 minutes for the first genuine scoring chance in the game, which brought out the best from South goalkeeper Anna Hardin.

A Peachtree Ridge corner kick dipped over a host of defenders and into the path of Shelby Jennings. Her six-yard snap shot was struck hard, but Hardin, positioned on the goal line, quickly dived right to block the shot.

Jennings thought she’d made the breakthrough in the 26th minute after slamming home a rebound on a Hardin save, but her celebrations were cut short by the assistant referee’s flag for offside.

Hardin was seldom in the thick of things for the rest of the first half, as South enjoyed more possession and came close to taking the lead before the break. An Emily Edmond corner bobbed along the six-yard box, escaping several swinging kicks from South players before eventually being cleared by the Lions.

The Lady War Eagles (1-5-1 overall) continued to pressure after the half and tore through the visitors’ defense with an early attacking move. Finding space in the center of midfield, Sydney Wright slid the ball between a pair of defenders and into the path of teammate Isabella Sudduth. Her pulled shot, though, was hit directly at Gardner.

It was a sign of an attacking intent, but the problem for both teams was finishing. South endured a harrowing final few minutes until the final buzzer, defending two corners and a burst of attacks from the Lady Lions. Overtime remained a deadlock and the game moved to penalty kicks.

In sudden death, Peachtree Ridge goalkeeper Gardner had the unusual role reversal of shooting, and edged the Lady Lions ahead, 4-3, before South’s Vicky Fryer answered. Bailie Burmaster, Graham Green and Melissa Lay were all on target for the visitors, as were South’s Alicia Gant and Lauren Schuster, making the score 7-6 before the game-ending miss.

“Our kids have nothing to be ashamed about,” said Braun. “It’s a coin flip, and we came out on the tails instead of heads.”