Class L semifinals
Avon girls earn spot in 3rd straight L final
By GERRY deSIMAS, JR.
Collinsville Press.com
MIDDLETOWN, Nov. 18 – Senior Erica Primovic scored on a penalty kick midway through the first half and the Falcon defense allowed just two shots as No. 2 Avon earned a spot in the Class L championship game for the third straight season with a 1-0 victory over defending champion RHAM.
Primovic was taken down hard by a Sachem defender with 21:41 remaining in the first half. She slammed a shot into the net to give Avon (15-1-2) the only goal it would need. It was her second successful penalty kick shot of the tournament. She had a PK in Avon’s successful shootout win over E.O. Smith in the first round.
“I’ve been working with a soccer coach on penalty kicks,” she said. “You take responsibility and take your kick. I didn’t think twice. (Coach Jim) Murray is always telling us to pick your spot. I stayed with it.”
Avon will face the winner of Friday’s game between arch-rival Farmington on the Friday or Saturday after Thanksgiving. The Indians beat Bethel, 1-0.
For the second straight game, the Falcon defense was outstanding, allowing just two shots. Goalie Kaylan Conrad made two saves to earn her 10th shutout of the season. “The pace was a little quicker for us (on artificial turf),” Murray said. “But we didn’t concede a good shot. Sarah Betancourt did an outstanding job on their top player.” Sweeper Molly Brown anchored the defense along with Betancourt, Sarah Gerali and Grace Lennon.
Avon had 14 shots on goal and has gotten better as the tournament has progressed. It was their third game in less than a week after taking off nearly 10 days due to the power outages following the Oct. 29 snowstorm.
“We’re getting better,” Primovic said. “We need to be more consistent and work together as a team. We can’t play as individuals. Today, we did very well passing to our feet.”
Playing on artificial turf didn’t hurt either. “We tend to slide tackle a lot (on grass),” Primovic said. “That hurts on turf. It forced us to pass more. I hope we play on turf again in the finals.”
Class L quarterfinals
Avon 1, Berlin 0
AVON, Nov. 15 – Caroline Smith scored off a feed from Erica Primovic with about nine minutes left in regulation to lift the Falcons in the Class L semifinals for the fourth straight year with a 1-0 win over Berlin. G Kaylan Conrad had three saves to earn her ninth shutout of the season.
Class L 2nd round
Avon girls survive on penalty kicks
By GERRY deSIMAS, JR.
Collinsville Press.com
AVON, Nov. 12 – Seconds matter, especially in high school athletics. These aren’t seasoned professionals. They are teen-age athletes. Nursing a one-goal lead throughout the second half, the No. 2 Avon High girls soccer team tried to run out the clock in their second round Class L contest with No. 15 E.O. Smith from Storrs. They nearly succeeded.
But despite being draped by an Avon defender, E.O. Smith sophomore Karina Larson took the ball across the goalmouth and at the last second fired a shot that bounced off Falcon goalie Kaylan Conrad to tie the game at 1-1 with seven seconds left in regulation forcing overtime.
That goal gave them another 20 minutes of overtime to try and win. But Avon wouldn’t yield and finally eliminated the pesky Panthers on penalty kicks to earn a 2-1 victory and advance to the Class L quarterfinals on Tuesday at Fisher Meadows at 2 p.m. against either Berlin or Wilton.
Avon (13-1-2) prevailed on penalty kicks, 4-2. Jenna Donahue, Erica Primovic and Catherine Jordan each had successful penalty kicks for the Falcons. Sophomore Youn Jae Baek clinched the victory by scoring low to the right side.
“They had to dig deep mentally and emotionally,” Avon coach Jim Murray said. “To get a win after giving up a goal with seven seconds left in regulation is outstanding. This is a great group (of players), a very positive group. They work hard.”
Primovic made a great play in the first half to give the Falcons a 1-0 lead. She got the ball at midfield and drove to the goal, beating two or three defenders along the way for her team-leading 17th goal of the season. But Avon couldn’t add to its total.
“We had opportunities to score in the first and second half and in overtime but we couldn’t get it done,” Murray said. “It’s unfortunate it came down to penalty kicks.”
Avon had several corner kick opportunities in the final two minutes of overtime but couldn’t get a clean shot on goal. E.O. Smith goalie Rachel Gagnon played an outstanding game.
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