Jackson girls soccer loses key players, district title game to Seckman

Jackson's Randa Norman scored a game-tying goal with five minutes left in regulation of the Class 3 District 1 girls soccer championship, but the Indians watched the district championship slip away when Seckman won 2-1 on penalty kicks Wednesday.

With the game tied at 1-1 after regulation and two overtime sessions, the game went to penalty kicks.

Hailey Mouser and Alexa Kelpe had Jackson's two successful penalty kicks, while Seckman made all of its attempts to win the district title.

"It's never the way you want to go out," Jackson coach Justin McMullen said. "To lose on penalty kicks sucks, but that's how this game goes, unfortunately."

The Indians were without two of their best players Wednesday. Prolific scorer Cassidi Tomsu missed the game after breaking her collarbone in the semifinal against Northwest on Tuesday when she collided with an opponent who then fell on her. Tomsu left the game midway through the second half and did not return.

Goaltender Sarah Blanton started for the Indians but was sidelined after being kicked in the head by a Seckman player. Blanton was diagnosed with a concussion.

"We were without our two best players, so it was hard to get anything going in the second half," McMullen said. "These girls fought all the way down to the end, and I think we did all right with what we had."

Jackson finished 13-6-1.