The Liberty Bell High School girls’ soccer team got an enthusiastic send-off on its way to the state playoffs in Sumner last weekend.
By Don Nelson
The Liberty Bell High School girls’ soccer team ended an impressive season with a fourth-place finish at last weekend’s 1B/2B state championships, the fourth time in five years that the Lady Lions have finished among the state’s elite teams.
At the finals in Sumner, Liberty Bell lost its opening game to eventual champion St. George’s, 2-0. The Dragons scored a goal in each half, including one on a penalty kick.
In Saturday’s game, the Lady Lions engaged in a defensive battle against Adna before losing, 1-0, for fourth place.
St. George’s beat Kalama, 1-0, for the championship trophy. The finals were all about defense — all told, only five goals were scored in four games. Despite some promising shots at the goal, the Lady Lions couldn’t quite find the net in last weekend’s matches.
“In the tournament, we had a tough time adjusting to t
he turf field,” Liberty Bell coach Lincoln Post said. “Our touch was off. I could see our players struggling to control the ball or weight their passes correctly. A whole season of muscle memory is hard to adjust quickly and yet I could see the quality of their team play improve throughout the games. We faced strong opponents who pressured us quickly and capitalized on the scoring opportunities.”
Liberty Bell’s Stella Gunnip-Hunter and Anna Post won sportsmanship awards for their efforts at the tournament.
Liberty Bell entered the state finals as league and district champions, and on a nine-game winning streak.
“We had a great season but most importantly we had a great team,” Post said. “Even though the state tournament did not go our way I could see how quickly the girls responded to each other with gratitude even right after the loss at state.”
“The team really represented our school with effort and a great attitude,” Post continued. “I am very proud of this team and how they handled themselves throughout the season. We will miss our four seniors [Cassidy Butler, Danielle Mott, Corinne Dietz and Lauren Fitzmaurice] next year but I also see a lot of potential in our new and returning players. I am also grateful for all of the help I had this season from my assistant coach Katie Overbeck, manager Colton Overbeck, Daniel Ochoa and Paul Niccolazo.”
Liberty Bell placed six players out of 11 named to the CWB girl’s soccer All-League first team, and two more were second-team All-League selections. Post was named Coach of the Year and Liberty Bell took the Teams Sportsmanship Award.
Liberty Bell also won the Academic State Championship for schools of similar size, for the second consecutive year. The Lady Lions received that award, which goes to the team with the best overall grade point average, at the state finals in Sumner.
