Saxony Lutheran's season ends in 1-0 shootout loss vs. St. Pius X

Last year St. Pius X ended Saxony Lutheran's girls soccer season with a heart-pounding, 1-0 double overtime victory in the Class 1 District 1 title game.

This season, Saxony took St. Pius to penalty kicks before falling 1-0 to the defending Class 1 runners-up, again in the district final.

Close doesn't count, and for the second straight year, the Crusaders' season ended in tears.

"We've always had good effort," said Maci Daniel, one of five seniors who nonetheless closed a successful chapter in Saxony soccer. "When it comes down to the wire, we always push until we can't go any more, and I think we did that today. It just didn't end in our favor."

After the teams remained scoreless after 80 minutes of regulation and another 30 minutes of overtime, the teams lined up to decide the victor via penalty kicks. Saxony's Grace Mirly and St. Pius' Alex Linderer both scored on their kicks in the first round, and the Crusaders' Maddie Brune and the Lancers' Brooke Merseal did the same in round two.

In the third round, both Miranda Brewer of Saxony and Molly Kovarik of St. Pius hit the crossbar. Saxony's Logan Welker hit her shot high over the crossbar in round four, while St. Pius' Kirsten Nulsen put her shot into the low left corner.

That left it up to the Crusaders' Brianna Mueller, whose shot to the same spot was partially deflected by Lancers freshman goalkeeper Elle Russell before rolling into the back of the net, keeping Saxony alive.

But St. Pius senior Christina Hovatter rocketed a shot low to the left corner that a diving Mirly couldn't keep from settling into the corner of the net for the winning score.

It was the second time this season Hovatter scored what proved to be the winning goal against Saxony. She scored on a regulation penalty kick in the Lancers' 1-0 win during the regular season.

"It's two incredible teams," Hovatter said. "We always fight hard. Ever since basketball season, we've always been kind of like rivals. We know both teams will put their all into it. It's just that much more rewarding when you do come through with the win."

Both teams spent much of the first half learning how to deal with a brisk crosswind that reached upwards of 20 miles an hour. Early in the second half, St. Pius' Abby Ottoline had a long shot that the wind carried high and hit the top of the crossbar.

Midway through the half, Saxony missed a golden opportunity when Logan Meyr got onto a cross from Mueller that found its way past the Lancers' keeper. Meyr rushed her shot from about 10 yards out, and the wind pushed it just wide of the net.

St. Pius' Christina Hovatter sends the final penalty kick past Saxony Lutheran's Grace Mirly in a shoot-out to win the Class 1 District 1 championship game Tuesday, May 20, 2014 at Saxony Lutheran High School. (Fred Lynch)

"I tried to get a touch around the goalie and I just one-timed it in the air and tried to get it in the goal," Meyr said. "But I couldn't. The wind definitely took it."

Moments later Brune's header off a well-placed corner kick by Welker soared just high over the crossbar.

"We were jumping around on the sideline," Saxony coach Stephanie Kulavic said. "We were ready for that to be a goal. And that's the hardest thing on the players, They need to finish those little opportunities, as hard as you work on them in practice, just that final mental part. You got there, you worked hard. Finish it. It's the most frustrating thing for a player."

But Kulavic was proud of her team's effort.

"There's no lack of effort from either team," she said after her squad finished the season 13-6. "Both sides, the heart was there. Everybody wanted it. But that's like the worst way to lose in soccer. You never know how it's going to go that day. ... but we have a young team, and I'm hoping that's going to help us out and keep us solid for the next few years."

St. Pius (21-2) advances to face St. Louis Notre Dame (8-13) in a Class 1 sectional.