Tiger Cubs rally, fall in Terre Haute sectional

Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Greencastle's Kate Babington battles Terre Haute South's Alexis Penwell for the ball in the first half of Tuesday's sectional contest.

TERRE HAUTE -- They came as a team and they departed the pitch at Terre Haute South as a team. That was a goal the GHS girls' soccer squad carried throughout the season, and despite falling to the Braves 2-1 Tuesday, they ended their season just the way they began -- as a team.

"The officials came up after the game as said they didn't hear a single negative comment between your girls or about the game or about any officiating or getting down on each other," GHS head coach Scott Weltz said. "One of our goals we had at the beginning of the year was to have a team feeling, where we're all supporting each other. We don't criticize and critique each other, we pick each other up. Let coach be the bad guy and critique, but let you pick each other up, and that's what they did tonight.

"It's a team effort. We take a team loss or we take a team win," he added.

Terre Haute South put up the first score of the match less than seven minutes at 33:54 into the contest and it looked like it might be a long night for the Tiger Cubs. The Braves attempted to utilize their speed, but GHS responded with their own lightning-quick players.

Greencastle held the Braves scoreless for the remainder of the half and entered the break down 1-0.

It was almost an eerie Déjà vu start to the second half for the Tiger Cubs. Terre Haute South's Alexis Penwell scored at almost the precise time the Braves had in the first half, at the 33:48 mark.

It took Greencastle 20 minutes to respond, but once they did, their intensity level jumped and Terre Haute South went to using as much clock as they could.

At the 10:57 mark, Whitney Brotherton pivoted and sent a shot over the hands of THS keeper Kelli Buchanan to bring her team within one point.

Despite a valiant effort in the waning minutes of the contest, GHS came up one point short, thus ending their season.

"It was too little too late," Weltz said about the final minutes. "I guess part of it is never giving up. We're down 2-0 in the second half late and we're still pushing for the goal and trying hard. We were patient. We know we're not going to score a lot of goals, but I know the girls give it their best effort.

"My hats off to Terre Haute South. They played a good game, very well composed and a very fast team. We could hang with them, but if their going to sneak a couple in, then we have to, too, and we didn't tonight," he said.

At Terre Haute

Terre Haute South Girls Soccer Sectional

THS 1 1 -- 2

Greencastle 0 1 -- 1

First Half

THS -- 33:54

Second Half

THS -- Alexis Penwell 33:48

GHS -- Brotherton 10:57