Women’s varsity soccer loses final in penalty kicks

By Daniel Tutt,
HUB Staff–

The women’s varsity soccer team ended their season May 18 with a loss in the Sac-Joaquin section final against Franklin ending in penalty kicks after 100 minutes of play.

The game ended without either team scoring, but in the first round of penalty kicks, Franklin landed four and DHS only three.

“It’s a hard loss. The girls played hard. We got here for a reason. And it’s never fun to lose in PKs,” coach Sara Stone said.

Goalie Maddy Purves stood out during the game when twice she grabbed the ball from crowds of defenders and attackers.

First, she ventured from the goal box and dove for the ball, her hands snatching it away from the swarm of lunging heads. Next– after a corner kick, a header by Franklin toward the far side of the goal and knee by DHS stopping the goal attempt but leaving the ball open three feet from the goal line– Purves swept in and dove, her arms and goalie gloves enveloping the ball.

“She had a lot of momentum in goal today. She had some key saves. I was hoping that was going to carry over to the PK situation,” Stone said. “But she played great.”

When the last Franklin penalty kicker stepped up to the goal, and prepared for the shot that would either win the final for Franklin or start a new round of PKs, Stone had one line cycling through her head. “Maddy come up big. Maddy come up big. Maddy come up big.”

But after two near-evenly matched teams finish regulation time and overtime without a single goal, the outcome of the penalty kicks is almost as random as the coin flip that started the game.

And the victory went to Franklin.

For Purves and the other seniors on the team, their last year of soccer won’t end with a section crown, but the 20 win, five loss and one tie season with a 12-game winning streak is something they can always remember.

“They’ve been stellar this entire year on and off the field,” Stone said. “It’s not the way that you want to end your season, but just not to hang your head and be proud of the things that happened.”