13 is Chargers’ lucky number
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, November 26, 2002
Normally, the number 13 isn’t equated with good luck. But on Monday afternoon, it was on the backs of players who scored three goals for John Yeates Middle School as both the Chargers and Lady Chargers stayed undefeated by scoring wins over the King’s Fork teams at Lakeland High School.
Three minutes into the girls’ game, eighth-grader Sarah Krick (wearing number 13) dribbled the ball down the right sideline, and popped in a shot that barely made it over Lady Jaguar goalkeeper Brittany Holloway’s right shoulder.
&uot;I didn’t think it was going in, because it was too high,&uot; said Krick, who scored her first goal of the season.
The Lady Chargers (4-0-1) went back on the attack for the next 13 minutes, but the Lady Jaguars knotted things up with just over two minutes left in the first half. Sarah Marreel-Alley took the ball down the left sideline, and sent a shot into the hands of Lady Charger goalkeeper Katie Duffy. Duffy punted the ball to the center, but Erika Hydinger darted in front of a Lady Jaguar, stole the ball, and shot it into the left side of the net to tie the score 1-1 at halftime.
After both teams failed to capitalize on scoring opportunities throughout the first 13 minutes of the second half, Katelyn Yandle knocked in the deciding goal with just under seven minutes left. Taking a throw-in at the center, the eighth-grader dribbled between three Lady Jaguars and smoked a shot into the upper-right side of the net to keep her team unbeaten.
Between games, Krick gave her jersey to Dante Scott, a member of the 5-0 boys’ team. Less than three minutes into the boys’ game, he scored on a header after a shot by Alton Donovan bounced off a King’s Fork defender.
Before the Jaguars could get off a shot, Alex Dorsey took the ball down the left side and sent a high pass to a leaping Donovan, who deflected in the game’s second goal.
As the time wound down, it appeared that the Jaguars would have a scoreless half. But with just under a minute to play, Brandon Swinney passed from the center to Kurt McIntyre on the left, and McIntyre banged in a shot that made it just inside the left goal post to cut the lead in half.
The second half was remarkably more even, with the Chargers holding a 5-4 shooting advantage. But with three minutes left, Sean Klee sent a corner shot to McIntyre, who sprayed it into the goal, sending the game to overtime.
Scott didn’t waste time using the lucky 13 again. Two minutes into the extra period, he looped a long shot into the King’s Fork goal to go up, 3-2.
&uot;I thought we would lose, because we underestimated them,&uot; Scott said. &uot;My last goal was kind of an accident, because I was just trying to put it in the middle.&uot;
The Jags had one chance left. With under a minute to play, the Chargers were called for a handball right in front of their goal. McIntyre ran up to take the shot, and a row of Chargers lined up in front of him.
When McIntyre kicked the ball, the wall cleared, sending his shot directly toward the Charger net. But goalkeeper TaiQuan Carter snared the ball, ending the game.
&uot;I was scared, because I couldn’t see him at first,&uot; Carter said. &uot;When they moved, the ball just hit my hands really hard. I was surprised.&uot;