Kent County ousts Perryville girls soccer team in penalty kicks

    The Perryville girls soccer team did their best to try to make sure the Tuesday, October 29 region quarterfinal playoff game at Kent County wasn't decided by penalty kicks.
    The Panthers outshot Kent 42-14 through regulation and two 10-minute overtime periods but their worst fears were realized when the Trojans outscored Perryville 2-0 in a penalty kick shootout to win the game 1-0.

    It was an excruciating loss for the Panthers, who were also booted out of the playoffs in penalty kicks by Sparrows Point two years ago.
    "Chances, chances, chances," Perryville coach Kristy O'Hara said. "I didn't want it to come down to penalty kicks because of what happened two years ago. We practiced [the day before the game] and they were on and beautiful, no problem."
    Kent went first in the five-round shootout and scored on its first shot. Perryville's first attempt sailed over the crossbar and Kent converted its second attempt to put the Panthers in a huge hole. Perryville then missed its second shot.
    Kent nearly went ahead 3-0 but a shot caromed off the crossbar and then the upper back of Panthers' goalie Courtney Comer, but did not cross the goal line. After Perryville missed its third attempt there was no room for error.
    The Panthers stayed alive when Kent's fourth attempt hit the crossbar, but Perryville missed its fourth opportunity to end the game.
    "We practice it all the time but the pressure is a lot different," Perryville's standout midfielder Sam Leonard said.
    Leonard and Natalie Gay returned from injury to provide the Panthers with a huge boost. Gay was dangerous on the right flank and Leonard threatened with several long range blasts.
    "We really pulled together as a team and this was probably one of the best game we played together," junior forward Tori Antoshak said. "I am really proud of us."
    Perryville's best first half chance came when Gay sent a cross into the box and Tori Antoshak's hard shot sailed over the crossbar.
    Two minutes into the the first extra session, Gay's header went over the bar following a corner kick from Leonard.
    The Kent keeper swallowed up Perryville's long shots and was aggressive coming off her line to play balls in the air.
    "She was good and she had a great defense backing her up," said Antoshak. "But in the end we just couldn't put the ball in the net."
    O'Hara was proud of her team's effort.
    "They played their hearts out," the coach said. "I can't ask for anymore. They dominated the field of play. I've never seen them play so hard and with so much determination and communication and playing as a full team. So I am extremely happy with the way they played. It wasn't our day. It wasn't our game."