Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
LOGAN — In Saturday’s final stages, Fairfield Union had a decision to make.
With 4:43 remaining in the second overtime period of a Division III district final, Fairfield Union’s Kyla Gasser was fouled in the goalie box. The question was, who would take the ensuing penalty kick? Should the Falcons let Gasser take the kick, or turn to their go-to penalty kicker, senior Rachael Warthman?
Ultimately, Warthman was a team player and let Gasser take the chance — a decision that paid off in the best way and continued their team’s season.
“As soon as Kyla drew that foul in the box, I said I was giving it to her,” Warthman said. “She’s going to finish it and we’re going to win this game.”
With the weight of the world on her shoulders, Gasser placed the ball in the upper-right corner of the goal to finish off a 1-0 victory over Athens, allowing Fairfield Union (18-1-1) to win its fourth consecutive district title.
“Rachael usually takes our penalty kicks, but it looked like Kyla and Rachael had a little discussion where Kyla said, ‘I got this,’” Falcons head coach Casey Bischof said. “When Kyla put it down, honestly, I watched our bench. I didn’t even want to watch the penalty kick. But I saw that she buried it, and that’s why she’s one of those players that we trust in that situation.”
“It’s awesome. It’s super stressful but when you get in the tournament, it’s win by any means necessary,” Bischof added. “Athens is fantastic. They kept us scoreless for almost two and a half games before we finally put a penalty kick away. This win just feels great.”
Offense came at a premium in the first 40 minutes. Neither team recorded a shot on target until the Falcons fired one on a free kick with 7:04 left in the half. Fairfield Union would launch only one more shot on goal throughout the remainder of the half, bringing both teams into the break with zeroes on the scoreboard.
The second half proved all the more frustrating for the Falcons, as they had plenty of chances in the attacking third and fired off five shots on goal, all to no avail.
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs (10-6-3) had chances that were far and few between. Their best, however, came at the 7:45 mark in regulation when Quinn Murphy brought the ball down the field and had an open look, but her shot was mere inches wide of the net.
Neither team was able to break the tie through 80 minutes, and the teams would need not just one, but two overtime periods to settle things.
After multiple close calls in the first extra period, Fairfield Union stayed on the attack in the second. With 4:43 remaining, the Falcons would find themselves with a golden opportunity to send themselves into the Sweet 16.
Gasser drew the foul in the box, awarding her team a penalty kick. After Fairfield Union elected for her to take it, she rose to the occasion.
When the whistle blew, Gasser let the ball fly and watched as it sailed past the keeper and into the goal, punching the Falcons’ Sweet 16 ticket for the fourth straight season.
Ice in her veins.
“Honestly, I was so nervous to kick that ball. But I knew that I had to pick it up for my team. It was on my shoulders,” Gasser said. “When I saw the ball go in the back of the net, it was just an amazing feeling seeing my team rush the field. I’m just so lucky to have a great team and great teammates, and it was just for my seniors this year.”
While Athens’ season comes to an end, Fairfield Union advance to Tuesday evening’s Division III regional semifinal. The Falcons will face John Glenn, a 1-0 winner over Tri-Valley.
First touch is slated for 7 p.m. Athens High School’s Joe Burrow Stadium.
“I think some people think it’s not that hard to win a district, and it’s tough. It’s incredibly hard,” Bischof said. “For the amount of work that our six seniors have put in to win four [districts] in a row, to get there and battle it out, to find ways in tough games to do what it takes to get here, I can’t say enough great things about them. And then, you have a senior leader like Rachael, who’s ready to let someone else take that shot at that moment. It just shows what kind of teammates they are.”
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