High School Girls
Soccer
Final home game a thriller for Lady Railers soccer team
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[May 06, 2024]
Friday
night in a heart stopping dramatic fashion the Lady Railers played
CS8 conference foe Jacksonville to an incredible finish. The game
was one we’ve all been anticipating after we upset Jacksonville last
year on their senior night. Our final home game of the 2024 season
was the most exciting of the year to date.
Due to injury the team had the smallest number of girls all year to
pull from, but it did not matter. Every single one of the Lady
Railers embodied this year’s motto “Pride in Battle” that night.
Each of the girls stepped up and showed incredible “grit and
resilience.”
The game started out with a quick goal from Jacksonville on a corner
that at first made all hearts drop when they gained the momentum
first. Again it did not matter. The Railer girls adjusted quickly
and although there were several more scares in the first half the
defense of Piper Graber, Jenna Bowman, Shay Neeley, Faith Doolin,
Makinley Knapp and keeper Ella Hartman cleaned them up. For every
scare the team had they gave equally back to Jacksonville,
culminating in agonizingly close shots that had everyone on the edge
of their seats again and again. However, it was not meant to be and
the first half left the Railers down one.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2024/May/06/images/ads/current/guzzardos_lda_MOTHERSDAY_041524.png)
Jacksonville came out strong and aggressive in the second half to no
avail. Even with several LCHS players getting their first true
challenge in new positions our Lady Railers stood up against their
opponents and managed to stop nearly every chance of theirs from
forming. The ones that did get through Ella Hartman proved her
mettle and picked up every ball with no fear even with Jacksonville
players charging at her.
The offense in the second half made several great runs on the
Jacksonville goalie and to her credit, she did a great job stopping
the Ladies. The second half went fast in this back and forth until
the last five minutes of the game. Brooklyn Curry, having been
switched to center mid, hooked a nice left footed chip pass to
Makinley Knapp in the 18. Knapp broke through their defensive line
and their keeper came out to challenge. Knapp’s left footed laser
shot was absolutely going in no question, Jacksonville's defense
simply made sure it did. TIE GAME.
In the CS8 conference ties aren’t allowed, so the game went into a
ten minute overtime period, with no score another ten and then
penalty kicks. The drama of the first and second half continued into
the overtime periods. Both teams had chances that didn’t culminate
in anything, so to penalty kicks it went.
The referee walked the ten girls, five from each team to the half
line explaining what they would need to do. For those who have never
experienced it, in soccer a penalty kick shootout is one of the most
uniquely pressured of situations. Each player has one chance for
their team to score and each keeper the pressure to try to stop
them. Each goal can be seen as the game winner as each player does
not know how it will shake out. The walk from the half line all the
way to the penalty kick spot is long and is murder to any players
mental game and focus. Then on the whistle the pressure piles on.
[to top of second column] |
![](../images/050624PIX/IMG_0842_small.jpeg)
The Senior Mom Squad and their
corresponding senior soccer playing daughters
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2024/May/06/images/ads/current/graue_lda_SPEEDWAY_041724.png)
The Railer five in order: Ella Hartman, MaKinley
Knapp, Jenna Bowman, Piper Graber, and Shay Neeley.
Shot one - Hartman had a unique pressure in this shoot out as
she was both a shooter and a keeper. She did not disappoint, first
in order, she tucked her shot so neatly into the left corner that it
left no doubt for Jacksonville how this was going to end.
(Jacksonville’s made hers).
Shot two - Knapp with the score 1-1 had to
make hers or we would immediately be in trouble. With another shot
pocketed to the left Knapp rocketed hers home as well.
(Jacksonville’s missed hitting it high and right)
Shot three - Bowman stepped up with Lincoln up 2-1. Her
strike was great, unfortunately the keeper guessed which way the
shot was going, deflecting it out. (Jacksonville’s shot went the
same way as Hartman came up big and deflected their third’s shot
keeping the score 2-1).
Shot four - Graber was now up and could up the ante by
putting another in for Lincoln and she did. Changing it up she shot
high and upper right to put Lincoln up (3-1). (Jacksonville’s shot
was nicely tucked to the right out of reach making the score 3-2)
Shot five - Neeley had a twofold option as the last with a
score of 3-2. If she missed, the door would be open for Jacksonville
to tie it up, sending us into a possible second round of penalty
kicks to break the tie. If she made it… Lincoln for the win. Neeley
with the trickiest shot of the five leaned a little to the left,
tricking the keeper, before tapping an easy pass to the right corner
for the win!
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2024/May/06/images/ads/current/chicagost_sda_SHG_2024.png)
Absolutely incredible game ladies, we are all so
proud of how tough you played last night from start to finish. Let’s
go Lady Railers!!
“This was an amazing and dramatic finish to our home game set this
season. It was also our true last game on Handlin field for seniors
Jenna Bowman, Ella Hartman, and Arianna Morris. It wouldn’t be right
to not give these three a proper send off. These three have been
incredible pillars of our defensive line since they started on this
team and it shows in that our goals against stats are the lowest in
Lady Railer soccer history and our shutouts the highest. These
ladies have been 3 of 4 in the line that have made the best defense
Lincoln girls soccer has ever seen (the stats don’t lie).
“For the last four years that they’ve played, all three have,
barring injury, played nearly every minute of every game. That’s
somewhere around 7,500 minutes. As a coach this is the dream, that
kind of dedication and mental toughness doesn’t happen often, but
when it does it is a game and team changer. These three seniors are
starters, captains, and leaders. It’s been a wild ride for the last
four years and I’m proud to say that I got to be a part of your
journey. We, all of us, wish you the absolute best going forward
ladies and remember…Once A Railer, Always A Railer!”
[Coach Beth Rayman] |