GROVE CITY — Mercyhurst Prep goalkeeper Brigid Ochalek avenged a setback both unknown and quick.
It also was the decisive reason the Lakers won Thursday’s dramatic District 10 Class 1A girls soccer semifinal over Mercer.
The Lakers and Mustangs were listed at 1-all on Grove City’s Forker Field scoreboard after regulation. Although Mercyhurst dictated much of the action to that point, overtime was still required when Mercer’s Emma Cameron converted her penalty shot against Ochalek with 19 seconds left.
The teams’ tie also held up through 30 minutes of extra play. That necessitated the penalty-shot format to determine which would face the top-seeded Seneca Bobcats in the bracket’s final.
“I lied to myself that was the fun part of (the match),” Ochalek said.
Mercyhurst’s Molly Taylor and Emma Russell converted attempts against Mercer’s Madeline Jewell. However, it was Ochalek’s denial of two of the Mustangs’ four attempts on net that drew the most cheers among the Lakers’ fans.
The last of Mercer’s four shooters: Cameron. Ochalek easily grabbed the striker’s attempt that was aimed to her left.The Mercyhurst senior was group-hugged before and after the teams’ postmatch handshake line.