FORTVILLE — When Nevaeh Gebhart’s crossing pass wasn’t to where midfielder Shaylee Frank could kick it with her dominant foot, she just used the other one.
The New Palestine sophomore midfielder left-footed Gebhart’s pass by Mt. Vernon goalkeeper Ava Stephenson and into the back of the net with 4:15 remaining in the second overtime to give the Dragons girls soccer team a 1-0 victory over host Mt. Vernon Wednesday.
It was New Palestine first win over Mt. Vernon since 2015, which was also a double-overtime victory (2-1) at Mt. Vernon. The win snapped Mt. Vernon’s 19-game Hoosier Heritage Conference winning streak and gave the Dragons the HHC lead.
The two teams came in as the only unbeaten teams in HHC play. The Dragons improved to 3-0 in league games and 5-2-1 overall. The Marauders, ranked No. 19 in the Indiana Soccer Coaches Association Class 3A poll, dropped to 3-1 in conference matches and 5-3 overall.
“We preach, ‘Use your left foot.’ A lot of times the girls don’t,” New Palestine coach Erin Clark said. “Man, (Frank) had a similar goal against Delta. Same thing. It came with a cross, almost exact. We’ve been really working on finishing crosses and at least getting our bodies on it and getting a chance to score.”
“I just saw it and I just kicked it,” Frank said. “If I would have made one touch (to get it to my right foot) someone could have got it. (Coach Clark) says if you get that open goal shoot it.
“I couldn’t have done it without my team. We all worked really hard to get this moment. We’ve all wanted this so badly since Day 1. I’m so happy for our team. It was a great pass from Nevaeh to get that left-footed goal. I’m just so happy.”
Maybe even before Day 1.
Clark said the Mt. Vernon match is always one she wants her team to be ready for.
Last year, at New Palestine, the Dragons led 1-0 late in regulation. Mt. Vernon scored on a free kick to force overtime and won the match on penalty kicks. They met again in the sectional semifinals with the Marauders winning that match, too.
“This match has been circled on our calendar since last year,” Clark said. “It’s always the game that’s circled, the biggest game of the season. The girls showed up, played hard, and made it a game and came out with a win.”
Gebhart had a couple of good chances late in regulation but Stephenson made some superb saves to help force the overtime.
Mt. Vernon had a lot of chances, too, but New Pal keeper McKenzie Hacker was able to keep the Dragons’ sheet clean.
“I’ve been coaching in Hancock County for 14 years and that’s just my second win against Mt. Vernon,” Clark, who was the head coach at Greenfield-Central prior to taking the New Palestine job, said. “They’re tough. They’re a tough team to beat year-in and year-out. I think that’s why we circle them on our calendar. It’s a tough game. We know it’s going to be a good match. … We lost 11 seniors to come back and win with a lot 0f young faces is really exciting.”
Mt. Vernon had been undefeated in conference play each of the last two seasons. The last loss was Sept. 12, 2020 to Yorktown. This year’s seniors were only freshmen then.
“Winning is hard. The streaks, the time (since the last conference loss), that’s not easy,” Mt. Vernon coach Aaron Britt said. “It’s never easy, no matter the state of the teams your playing. Last year, similar situation, we were playing well and we had a shootout. It’s hard. Tonight, they had a game plan, stuck to it and did a good job.
“We had a lot of opportunities. We just didn’t make them count. In the end, we didn’t put it in and they had a chance and got one. That’s the way it goes.”
In the first half, Mt. Vernon’s Kylie Brandes had a pair of free kicks early in the period. Both were right on goal, but also right at Hacker.
With four minutes remaining until halftime, Mt. Vernon’s Aya Renforth was able to get around a New Palestine defender to get a strong shot on goal, but Hacker dove to her right to knock it away and give the Marauders a corner kick. Earlier in the half, Renforth had a shot that went high and dropped on top of the goal net.
New Palestine had one of the best first-half chances for either team when Rylee Hurst beat Stephenson to a free ball just right of the goal. Hurst was able to get a shot off but the momentum of the chase for the ball put her too far to the right of the goal and her attempt hit the side of the goal net.
Earlier in the half, New Palestine’s Tylar Whitaker had a strong attempt sail right of the goal.
There were less quality chances in the second half. The best chances for the Dragons came off the foot of Gebhart, one went just over the crossbar, the second was thwarted on a great save from Stephenson. Both came in the latter part of the half.
After Frank scored, Mt. Vernon had another good chance in the final two minutes with a loose ball in front of Hacker, but she was able to grab it before the Marauders could even the score.
“It was a tough physical game,” Britt added. “It was all the things you would expect, physical, a lot of emotion, a lot of intensity. It’s midway through the season, the good thing the season is not over with and there is a lot of soccer to play.”
Mt. Vernon continues HHC play at Yorktown Saturday, beginning with an 11 a.m. JV match. New Palestine hosts non-conference foe Center Grove Monday.
