Original Article on Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel Website

PT rallies past Nac

Lady Pirates score three goals in second half to take win

Saturday, March 12, 2005

Sentinel Staff

The first time the Nacogdoches Lady Dragons met Pine Tree this season, it took a shoot-out to decide the outcome.

With defense at a premium in the first half Friday, it looked like the rematch at Dragon Stadium was headed in the same direction.

But the Lady Pirates rallied with three second-half goals to take home a 3-1 win over Nacogdoches.

The Lady Dragons fell to 8-8-3 overall and 4-4 in District 16-4A competition. Nacogdoches came into Friday's contest third in the district standings. Pine Tree is currently the district's second-place team. The Lady Pirates gained a tighter grip on that position with Friday's win.

Lady Dragon goalkeeper Sarah Robinson, and the rest of the Nacogdoches defense, turned back numerous Pine Tree assaults in the first half.

Robinson's biggest save of the half came just a minute-and-a-half after the Lady Dragons took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Brandy O'Neal.

A Pine Tree forward had broken into the clear and was bearing down on a loose ball in the goal box. But Robinson won the race to the ball and slid in front of the Lady Pirate shot, cradling the ball in her bread basket.

Less than a minute later, Pine Tree was knocking at the door again with a corner kick. The Lady Pirates settled the ball to the left of the goal and sent a shot past Robinson toward the far post. But sophomore defender Heather Mullikin got a foot on it to keep it out of the net, and the Lady Dragons were able to clear the ball and escape to halftime with their lead intact.

Nacogdoches scored the game's first goal with 5:35 left in the first half. O'Neal took a pass from sophomore forward Abby Pool near midfield. She played the ball through toward the Nacogdoches sideline and raced past a Pine Tree defender.

Another Lady Pirate came out to meet O'Neal at the top of the goal box, but the sophomore forward scooted to her right for a little space before uncorking a low, right-footed shot. The ball rolled past a diving Pine Tree goalkeeper and into the back right corner of the net.

But Nacogdoches couldn't make the lead stand up in the second half.

The Lady Dragons will play at Kilgore Tuesday in a 7 p.m. contest.

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