 Lion excitement and Wildcat frustration as the Lions take the lead Lions beat the heat and the Wildcats to advance in a marathon District Final Story by Tara Hefferan Photos by Alexis Mercer Last season, Newaygo Lions Girls Soccer won the District Title for the first time in program history. On Friday, June 2, they repeated the historic achievement by winning the title for a second time. In a hard-fought match that went both into double overtime and a shootout, the Lions were crowned District 47 champions, with a final score of 3-2.  Natalie Richardson stretches for speed Playing at home in the brutal 90-degree heat, the Lions faced what some players considered their toughest competition of the season. The Montague Wildcats have both speed and skill, and early on controlled possession, making several incursions into Lion territory. The Lions met the challenge, with senior center back and captain Sofia Briggs leading the backline. Along with outside backs Maddie Couch and Natalie Richardson and defensive midfielder Rachel Larsen, the defensive line was under constant pressure for the first quarter of the game but managed to contain and interrupt the Wildcats attack to limit shots.
Momentum shifted after the first scheduled water break, about ten minutes into the match, when the Lions assumed a more offensive posture, sending in several shots toward goal. The Lions secured the upper hand in the 37th minute, when Connelly Hefferan Nordlund and Grace Painter exchanged a give and go that opened space for Painter to dribble forward. Painter fired a shot from outside the 18-yard line, and while the Wildcat’s keeper initially appeared to have caught the low-driven ball, it instead slipped through her fingers into the back of the net. Senior captain Painter said, “There hadn’t been a goal yet, so I decided to take a chance from farther out. Luckily, I put enough pace on the ball to put it through the goalie’s hands. Sometimes it doesn’t have to be pretty, a goal is a goal.” With the game finally broken open, Newaygo players and fans erupted into cheers, while the Wildcats encouraged their keeper to shake off the error. As Painter said, the goal “gave the team some more energy and belief in ourselves.” The Lions took the 1-0 lead with three minutes left in the first half.  Barbara Toth sends the ball up field While the Wildcats dominated possession in the first half, they did not outshoot the Lions by much, largely owing to the talents of the defensive line. The Lions had 7 shots total, with 2 on goal and 1 in goal. The Wildcats had 9 shots total, with 2 on goal. The two were thrilling attempts, however, that highlighted Lion Keeper Barbara Toth’s impressive skills in net. As described by Toth “They shot high over my head, and I tipped the ball. It hit the crossbar and bounced right off into the feet of a Montague player. I quickly got to my feet and went straight at her. She shot it, and it bounced right off my chest into play again. It was one of my best saves ever.” Agreeing, senior midfielder Lynnea Briones said, “Barb’s incredible save is what gave me hope for us winning this game” while Briggs said, “Barbara’s double save was definitely one of the most important moments of the game.”  Aby Lauryssens plans her next move he Wildcats returned from the halftime break with determination, and fifteen minutes into the second half, they leveled the score. A failed attempt to clear the ball saw the Lions turning it over instead. The Wildcats pounced, dribbling forward from midfield into the center of the field, and then laying a pass off to the right. From the 18-yard line, Wildcat Ava Pelton fired a rocket into the upper left corner of the net, well out of Lion Keeper Toth’s reach. The Wildcats were even 1-1 with 24:42 left in the second half. Shifting from their defensive shell, the Lions were able to generate several chances late in the second half, taking the lead again with just 5:37 minutes on the clock. From the right, Painter sent a corner kick into the box. Crashing the net from the left, Landry Hefferan Nordlund received the ball, sending a one touch short pass to C. Hefferan Nordlund in front of net. C. Hefferan Nordlund tapped the ball in past the defender and keeper to put the Lions ahead 2-1.  Grace Painter does battle on the way toward goal The lead was short-lived, however, because the Wildcats found their second goal only 30 seconds later. After good ball movement in the Lions defensive zone, Wildcat Pelton sent in a high-flying shot from distance that went over the head of Keeper Toth. The Lions and Wildcats were tied 2-2 as the final minutes of regulation play dwindled away. The game then moved into two ten-minute overtime periods. Newaygo had several good attempts on goal, but so too did the Wildcats, who twice in overtime bounced the ball off the crossbar. Unable to break the tie, the match moved to a penalty kick shootout.In a shootout, focus shifts from the team’s collective execution to individual performance, as just five players from each team initially serve as shooters. The combined ten designated players stand on the center line, then one by one, they alternate moving to the penalty line to face the opposing keeper. This is a dramatic scene, with all eyes trained on the single player making the long walk across the field and into shooting position. The team that scores the best out of five shots is declared the overall match winner.  Corner kick success, as Connelly Hefferan Nordlund taps the ball into net This was a tense moment in an already highly charged game. As the fans crowded to watch from the north end of the field, nearest the shootout goal, the Wildcats had the advantage of going first. Confident and capable under high pressure situations, Keeper Toth made herself large as the first Wildcat got into position. However, Toth did not need to stop the initial shot, as it sailed wide of net. Shooting first for Newaygo was Connelly Hefferan Nordlund, who stepped to the line and fired her shot past Wildcat Keeper Addison Pranger. The Lions were ahead 1-0. The Wildcats found the back of the net with their second attempt, bringing the score to 1-1. Grace Painter shot second for the Lions, slotting the ball past Pranger once again. The Wildcats third attempt was not on goal, meaning the Lions had a 2-1 lead as Sofia Briggs stepped to the line. Briggs blasted the ball by Pranger, giving the Lions a 3-1 lead. This meant that the Wildcat’s third shooter was in a must-score situation. She was unable to deliver, however, and sent the ball above net. The Lions had won the shootout and claimed their second district title in as many years. As Briggs said, “I think our teams were pretty evenly matched. Both of us really wanted the title, so naturally we each put up a good fight. But when it came to the pk shootout, I think we were more collected and better prepared than they were.”  Lynnea Briones assesses her options Winning the district title for a second time is an incredible achievement for Newaygo Girls Soccer. Lynnea Briones said, “It feels so, so good to be repeat champs. I feel like this is what we have been working so hard for our entire lives, and it just feels amazing” and Sofia Briggs commented, “It feels amazing to win districts again now for the second time ever in our school’s history. Our group of girls is really bringing recognition back to our school’s girls soccer team!” This recognition also has special significance for the group of seniors who have played together for years. As senior captain Connelly Hefferan Nordlund said, winning “means a lot. We’ve grown together, and we’ve won and lost together. So, to end our senior year on such a winning season is really special.”
Reflecting on the match, Newaygo Coach Matt Painter said, “Tonight we faced a very talented Montague team who had several subs that kept them firing on all cylinders without missing a beat. Our girls never gave up, always believing that they deserved to be in this game. As regulation and then each overtime expired, I was praying that all the time we had spent practicing PK’s would pay off. Obviously, the girls did not disappoint! As I reflect on our season, we had two big goals for the team this year: Winning the Conference and then winning Districts. Check and check! On the way to these goals, the girls also put together an undefeated season! Watching this team grow together to be so successful has been an absolute honor. I am so proud to have had the chance to share this amazing season with this group of girls!  Landry Hefferan Nordlund races to the through ball Newaygo’s record now stands at 18-0-1. Undefeated, the Lions have scored 95 goals, while conceding just 8. They now move to the Regional Semifinals against state-ranked Elk Rapids. The match is scheduled for June 6 at 7:00 PM in Clare. The Lions invite the community to come support them in this historic match.  District 47 champions Newaygo Lions- Photo by Tara Hefferan
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