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This Christine Feinour kick on Saturday night put Fallston in the state final.
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By Andy States
Content Manager, SMAC

WALDORF -- After a scoreless first half in Saturday night's 3A semifinal against the Northern Patriots, Fallston coach Alyson Cammann told her players that if they wanted their season to continue, they were going to need a better effort for the next 40 minutes.

"We didn't play our 'A' game in the first half," Cammann said. "We were a little bit slow and weren't possessing the ball the way we normally do. So we sat down and said, 'Listen girls, it's f0 minutes or it's over."

Turned out, it took a little more than 40 minutes.

Tied 1-1 at the end of regulation, Fallston and Northern played through two scoreless overtimes and even went extra in penalty kicks before Fallston prevailed 4-3 in kicks at North Point High. The Cougars advance to the 3A championship game against Bethesda-Chevy Chase, which defeated Hereford in Saturday night's other semifinal.

"It's been a long road to get here," Cammann said. "Last year we battled and made it to regional finals and lost our only game, so this year we were trying to bounce back. We are just happy to be going to the state championship game."

Fallston (17-0) appeared to have that spot in the state final sewn up through most of the second half. Senior Jill Dozier scored early in opening moments of the second half to give the Cougars the 1-0 lead. As the half progressed, the Cougars turned away every Northern (14-2) challenge -- until less than six minutes remained.

Northern senior Jessica Ruyter slid into a cross from Danielle Franklin and directed it into the net to tie the game with 5 minutes 30 seconds showing on the scoreboard clock.

"That definitely put a little bit of pressure on us," Cammann said. "We were sitting there, less than six and thought we were going to win and they did that. We just kept the pressure on, and never gave up to the last shooter. That's all that matters."

Two scoreless overtimes later, the teams went to penalty kicks to decide which would provide the oppostion to Bethesda-Chevy Chase in the coming week's championship game. And finally, after each team had sent six shooters up in the penalty-kick session, Fallston's Christine Feinour provided the game-winner in the seventh round. Following Feinour's goal, Northern's ensuing shot sailed high and with it, Fallston's spot in the state final was secure.

"The fans were really loud so I just had to go up there and tune it all out and place it right in the corner," Feinour said. "We practice it. It just happened to come down to me."

Prior to Saturday night's game, Northern had allowed just three goals all season and have shut out 12 opponents.

"They never give up and they work hard," Northern coach Jay Loveless said of his team. "They're always playing for each other. They never put themselves before the team."

Northern's eight seniors produced one of the most successful periods in the history of the program. The team won 14 games in each of the last three seasons and won two consecutive 3A South regional championships.

"They've had 14 wins the last three years. Before that it was not quite as good, but they've been the heart and soul of the team for a couple of years," Loveless said of his seniors.