GIRLS SOCCER: Cougars conjure up more postseason magic

The postseason Cougars are back.

A year after turning a No. 6 seed in the seven-team District 1-AAA girls soccer tournament into its first regional berth in more than 20 years, Sullivan Central returned to its bracket-busting ways Monday night.

Thanks to a sensational equalizer by Ansley Ferguson and a go-ahead score by Brittany Hyder, the No. 5 seeded Cougars overcame a second-half deficit to post a 3-2 triumph over No. 4 Daniel Boone in their 2011 district tournament opener.

“They’re just like the team last year,” said Central coach Cliff Ferguson. “There’s a lot of talent here, but in the regular season we just didn’t have luck. I guess you would say Lady Luck wasn’t falling our way.”

It was pluck more than luck, however, that kept the season alive for Central (5-2-8).

Pluck – and the right foot of Ansley Ferguson.

Central took an early lead in the eighth minute when Tiffany Norris scorched a low cross through the six-yard box that ricocheted off a Boone defender and into the net.

The Cougars would stay the aggressors for most of the rest of the half, nearly taking a 2-0 lead when a Hyder shot banged off the crossbar in the waning moments of the opening 40 minutes.

But Boone responded in the second half as Alex Drumwright – who was involved in a late-first half collision that sidelined Central starting goalkeeper Mary Williams with a left wrist injury – notched a pair of goals to give the Trailblazers (10-5-3) their first lead with just under 20 minutes remaining.

Then Ferguson struck.

The junior forward took the ensuing kickoff, weaved her way through the entire Boone defense and rocketed a shot into the upper right side of the net to even the match at 2 before the Trailblazers could blink.

“Even though the other goal by Brittany Hyder was beautiful and it was the go-ahead goal, the equalizer is what [got our team going],” said Cliff Ferguson.

Boone coach Steve Sessis said he felt a sense of dread when Ansley Ferguson began her sprint to the goal.

“Ansley’s that kind of explosive player,” he said. “We made a tactical error defensively. You don’t give a girl with that kind of foot and that kind of speed an advantage or a goal happens.”

While Monday’s elimination game would have eventually been decided in overtime or penalty kicks if it had remained tied after regulation, the Cougars wanted no part of another blown-lead-turned-even-score performance.

In their eight regular-season ties – including a pair of 2-2 games with Boone – Central six times coughed up advantages before settling for a nobody-wins, nobody-loses finish.

Hyder, though, made sure the scoreboard wouldn’t once again show two 2’s after 80 minutes of play between the Cougars and Trailblazers, taking a nice touch on a through ball to get clear of the Boone defense and finishing with a low shot to the right side in the 67^th minute.

“I just got tired of tying,” she said.

Boone still nearly knotted it at 3 in the frantic final minutes, but senior defender Melissa Grosso took care of the Trailblazers’ best chance, clearing a Jennine Duncan poke off the goal line deep into stoppage time.

“I was like, ‘No, no,’ ” Grosso said in describing her thoughts as Duncan’s shot made a beeline for the back of the net. “That’s exactly it. Not much was going through my mind. I was just really nervous.”

Heather Norris, who moved from sweeper to keeper after Williams’ injury, also made a number of impressive stops to preserve the lead, pushing aside a Drumwright blast seconds after Grosso’s crucial clearance.

“I thought Heather did an outstanding job in the goal,” Cliff Ferguson said. “She made some killer saves for us. I’m just tickled all the way around with the way we came back.”

Although Monday’s victory again proved the Cougars can step up their game in the postseason, they’ll have a tougher task tonight trying to advance to the district final and make regionals for the second straight year.

Looming is a 5 p.m. semifinal match with No. 1 Science Hill. The Cougars avoided the Hilltoppers until the district final in 2010 and were even at the half in the championship match, but ended up losing 4-0 before seeing their season end a match later with a loss in the regional semifinals.

After facing the Cougars four times in 2011 – including a preseason scrimmage – Sessis said seeding goes out the window when Central takes the field in the postseason.

“They earned their victory,” he said.

nhubbard@bristolnews.com | Twitter: @Hubbard_BHCSprt | (276) 645-2543