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Baldwin’s Claire Watkins and Eudora’s Kambrea Kerr battle for possession during a girls soccer match on April 16 at Eudora High School.
EUDORA — Kambrea Kerr’s late-match equalizer brought the Eudora girls back from the brink as the Cardinals emerged with a 1-1 double overtime tie against rival Baldwin Thursday night on the pitch.
After having been held scoreless for more than 76 minutes of regulation, Eudora finally broke through when Kerr’s looping kick from the left corner curved around the bar and into the net.
Baldwin was also down a player after forward Jalelyn Duffy was assessed a red card late in regulation, leading to the senior forward’s ejection.
“It put us in a little bit of a bind,” Baldwin coach Ryan Cox said. “But we adjusted and did just fine with it.”
Eudora (4-2-1) took full advantage of its numbers’ advantage as the Cardinals maintained a heavy attack throughout the 20 extra minutes added to the clock for both extra sessions.
Baldwin goalie Audrey Searl turned back Eudora on numerous occasions as the Bulldogs held on for the tie.
“She had some saves that I still don’t know how she made,” Cox said.
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Baldwin’s Audrey Seal corrals the ball for a save during a girls soccer match against Eudora on April 16 at Eudora High School.
Eudora coach Darren Erpelding struck a positive tone with his squad at the half, pointing out that the Cardinals had played well despite the 1-0 deficit.
“He basically told us that we were doing really good, and that we shouldn’t be down on ourselves because we had possession most of the time,” Eudora junior Payton Chappelle said. “And that we just need to keep our heads up and go harder.”
Chappelle noted that Eudora changed its strategy in the second half, switching up from a 4-3-3 possession-oriented formation to a more aggressive 4-2-4 set. The latter formation focused on overloading the attacking zone nearest Searl.
“That helped us have more players up trying to score,” Chappelle said.
Chappelle said she was impressed by how the team responded in the second half when faced with adversity. Specifically, she said that the team was communicating better as a unit, leading to crisper passing.
On the other end, the Bulldogs struggled mightily to advance the ball across midfield in the second half and for the majority of the 20 extra minutes between the two overtimes.
Baldwin (4-3-1) was slightly better offensively in the first half, with junior midfielder Macy Miller powering through Baldwin’s lone goal. Miller’s short kick in a crowded area handed the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead with 2:35 showing on the clock.
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Baldwin’s Macy Miller celebrates with her teammates after scoring a go-ahead goal against Eudora during a girls soccer match on April 16 at Eudora High School.
Searl, who got the assist on the team’s lone goal by sending a field-long punt to Miller, said she was impressed with the composure exhibited by her teammates down the stretch as the Bulldogs narrowly escaped with a tie.
“We have a really young back line, so it’s just communication and building what we’ve worked on in practice,” Searl said. “And just really staying composed in those tough moments.”
Searl also lauded Eudora as “a really skilled team.”
“We showed that we can play with them,” she said.
Cox said that the junior netminder has made tremendous strides since assuming the role as a sophomore.
“Audrey went from never having played soccer (until) last year and stepping in at goalie, and then spending her offseason playing club and working hard,” Cox said.
“She’s really been our rock back there this year. She’s kept us in a lot of games when mistakes have been made, and tonight she showed that again.”
He added that his squad entered the matchup on fumes after squeezing out a 1-0 overtime victory against Northeast Kansas Homeschool on Tuesday at home. Brighton Graham sent the ball to the net toward the back post off an assist from Lauren McCart.
“It was our third overtime game this season,” he said. “And you could definitely see the fall off in the legs and energy. So I definitely think that played a part as well.
Cox also noted that the Bulldogs are a relatively inexperienced team that starts four freshmen.
“Eudora has always played us tough and is a very good team,” he said. “And to get out of here with a tie, the girls really grew up tonight.”
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Eudora’s Payton Chappelle dribbles the ball near midfield during a girls soccer match against Baldwin on April 16 at Eudora High School.
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Baldwin’s Lauren McCart hits a header during a girls soccer match against Eudora on April 16 at Eudora High School.
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Eudora’s Peyten VanHorn hits a header during a girls soccer match against Baldwin on April 16 at Eudora High School.
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Baldwin’s Claire Watkins, Brooklyn Taylor, Briley Smolen and Britton Ediger form a wall to defend a free kick during a girls soccer match against Eudora on April 16 at Eudora High School.
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Eudora’s Kylie Bourne can’t help but smile after she goes down to the turf following a sequence where she was unable to secure possession of a pass on a breakaway chance in front of Baldwin’s goal during a girls soccer match on April 16 at Eudora High School.
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Baldwin’s Audrey Seal secures the ball as Eudora’s Emma Sarber watches after Searl pinned Sarber’s shot on the front end of the goal post to make a save during a girls soccer match on April 16 at Eudora High School.
