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Emily Staples

The girls varsity soccer team won the quarterfinal game against Blue Valley West (BVW) last night and will go on to play at the state competitions this weekend.

“The last time we played them it was 2-2; this game was 2-2 until towards the end,” head coach Rick Pribyl said. “I think it was two very skilled teams playing against each other. Blue Valley West had a very talented and good team and also a good game plan and they stopped us a lot of the time, but we kept coming back and then the game swung our way.”

Just six minutes into the first half, senior Kara Priest scored the first goal of the game. BVNW shifted into the lead, 1-0.

This was quickly followed up by BVW senior Rachel Catrell sinking one into the net just four minutes later, tying up the game 1-1.

Junior Cece Kizer said the game was pretty much head to head the entire time, with each team scoring shortly after the other.

“We came out on fire, they came out on fire,” Kizer said. “We were just back and forth the whole game.”

With 28:51 left in the first half, Priest swiftly pulled BVNW back into the lead with another goal, bringing the score to 2-1.

There was more of a gap between goals this time, and Catrell scored for BVW with 17:24 left in the first half, bringing the score to 2-2.

The game was tied up at the end of the half 2-2.

The teams continued battling it out during the beginning of the second half, but it seemed as if none of the shots on goals would actually hit the net.

With 24:38 left on the clock, the game was temporarily suspended for 40 minutes due to lightning detected in the area. The teams went down into the locker rooms, which Pribyl said gave them a chance to refocus and change their momentum. Kizer said she felt really pumped after talking with the team.

“When we came out [of the locker room], I said to Karley Kucera, ‘I’m going to score in the last five minutes and we’re going to win.’ And then that happened.”

Sure enough, Kizer scored with just 3:23 left in the game, solidifying BVNW’s lead to 3-2.

Pribyl said it was quite a game, and he looks forward to the state competition. He expects the games to be quite tight.

“These girls play with each other in clubs, they know each other really well, they’re best friends,” Pribyl said. “That’s what makes a high school soccer game so neat, is that you get the spirit and the intensity in these games that you may not get in a normal club game.”