Fellowship Girls Soccer Team Falls Short in State Championship Game

Sign up for the Roswell Patch newsletter!------

Submitted by John Heid, sports information director with Fellowship Christian School

The Fellowship Christian School girls’ soccer team gave everything they had, but could not win that illusive state championship.

Sophomores Stephanie Haigwood and Mackenzie Gibbs and junior Sarah Kate Jones scored on successive attempts in the penalty-kick round, but Hebron Christian Academy edged the Lady Paladins 3-4 in PKs to claim a 1-0 victory in the Championship Game of the GHSA Class A Girls State Soccer Tournament held at Mercer University in Macon.

Junior Megan Hudgens and senior Abigail Freemyer could not score in the round of five PKs each per team. Junior goalkeeper Shannon Milhollin, who made several key saves during regulation and both five-minute overtimes, posted one save in the PK round.

The contest marked the third trip to the title game for the Fellowship seniors. The loss to the Lady Lions snapped an 18-game unbeaten streak for FCS, which fought bravely on an 85-degree day on the turf in Macon. Overall, Fellowship ended the season with a 16-1-12 mark under the direction of head coach Tim Rice.

This year marked FCS’ fifth consecutive trip to the state Final Four and sixth overall. The school advanced to the State Final Four for the first time in 2005, and has gone every year since 2011. The game remained scoreless through both of the five-minute overtimes. Milhollin recorded a save about two minutes into the second overtime, and followed that up with a save on a 1-on-1 play seconds later.

FCS advanced to overtime in its second straight contest as the game was scoreless through regulation.

The Lady Paladins dominated possession and put on a lot of pressure on Hebron throughout the second half, including a great scoring opportunity as Hudgens’ pass to sophomore Rachel Haigwood that set up a close shot that was deflected before it reached the net early in the second half.

With just under 28 minutes to go, Hudgens’ shot barely just missed the net and Rachel Haigwood had two consecutive shots blocked off a corner kick a few seconds later. With 18 minutes later Gibbs’ shot was saved, and Hudgens’ long shots were stopped with 13:00 and 12:00 to go. Freemyer’s shot was high off a Gibbs’ corner kick with just over six minutes to go.

Hebron closed regulation strong with a couple of good scoring opportunities. With just under two minutes to go a Hebron shot off a free kick went off the side of the net. Another shot off a corner kick went off the side of the next with less than a minute left in the half. Milhollin came up big with a couple of tough saves around the 10-minute mark of the first half.

The boys’ and girls’ varsity teams posted a combined 34-3-3 record this season. Both the boys’ and girls’ clubs were ranked second in the eurosport scoreboard rankings released April 26. Heading to GHSA Girls’ Soccer Championship Game: Rachel Haigwood Nets Winner in Penalty Kicks to Lift FCS past FPD in State Semifinals.

------

Image via Shutterstock