EVANSVILLE — Avery Slade had a constant green light from the coaches.
It mattered little that multiple attempts had been blocked. Nor did it change when a laser bounced off the crossbar in the second half. Memorial wanted the ball on the foot of its sophomore midfielder, arguably its best player. It wanted her to shoot.
She listened. The ball went in the net.
Slade broke a scoreless tie with 27 minutes remaining in the Class 3A sectional championship. That strike is all No. 11 Memorial required to beat No. 12 North 1-0 and secure its 24th title in program history. The Tigers (14-3-1) were the final team standing in one of the more competitive groupings in Southern Indiana.
“It took a lot of resiliency,” Memorial coach Angie Lensing said. “The ability to get back up and flexibility. There was a lot of maturing and a lot of shared responsibility. Everyone kind of took the initiative and stepped up where needed. They pushed each other to continue being better.”
That shot was a summation of this season. Memorial kept fighting no matter the obstacle.
The Tigers were down five starters at various points with injuries ― two remain out of the season. Lensing had to break out different formations or play individuals out of position. Anything to stay on track. Memorial rode a stingy defense to another Southern Indiana Athletic Conference title, with four of those games won by a single goal, in overtime or via penalty kicks.
The end result was a deeper, stronger team. The Tigers haven’t lost since a weekend trip to Zionsville on Sept. 5.
“We’ve had a mentality that it’s family,” Slade said. “Playing for the people who can’t. It’s been a fight, and our season has kind of reflected that. It hasn’t been high scoring, but we’ve gotten used to it. The next five minutes is what matters.”
The growth of this lineup could be seen this week. Memorial gutted out a 2-1 semifinal victory over Jasper after allowing the first goal. Norah Havill, a freshman, found the equalizer with 13 minutes remaining on a loose ball in front of the net. It took the same strenuous effort to win the title.
Memorial and North played to a scoreless first half with neither side relenting defensively. The Tigers emerged stronger following the break and finally cracked the scoreboard on Slade’s strike from 30 yards. North (16-3-1) nearly tied it in the 79th minute when Nora Baker’s shot towards an empty net smacked the cross bar ― the ball went straight down and out, allowing Mallory Swiz to clear it.
Memorial had a 7-3 advantage with shots on goal and didn’t allow any corner kicks.
“The don’t back down mentality,” Lensing said. “I think that sums up the last two games because of how intense both of them were. Intense for 80 minutes. (Slade) continues to be unselfish and is looking for her teammates. I do think her confidence is where it is now because of her ability to take the shots that we need.”
The next step requires a trip to Floyd Central for the regional semifinal on Thursday, Oct. 16. Does anyone want to play the Tigers at this point? Their style isn’t flashy or stylistic. A tough defense, anchored by an All-State keeper, and just enough offense to keep you guarded.
It gets the job done. Nothing matters in October beyond winning.
“It means a lot to the program,” Slade said. “Last year meant a lot to me but wasn’t expecting the result (a penalty kick loss to Castle in the sectional). I think that drove us to get past the sectional. Keep playing one game at a time for each other.”
Other Southwestern Indiana IHSAA girls soccer sectional winners
Class 2A: Gibson Southern defeated No. 11 Washington 2-1 in the championship at Gibson Southern. Kendall Edwards broke the tie with 16 minutes remaining. Corinne Stevens had the other goal for the Titans, who won their second straight sectional title.
Class 2A: No. 3 Mater Dei required penalty kicks to defeat Heritage Hills in the championship at Mount Vernon. Following a scoreless regulation and overtime, the Wildcats bested the Patriots 5-4 on PKs. It is the fourth straight title for Mater Dei.
Class 1A: No. 20 White River Valley defeated Vincennes Rivet on penalty kicks in the championship at Sullivan.
Class 1A: No. 10 Forest Park defeated Northeast Dubois 3-1 in the championship at Forest Park. It is the second straight title for the Rangers.
Class 1A: No. 9 Evansville Christian defeated Pike Central 3-0 in the championship at South Spencer. It is the first title for the Eagles.
Kyle Sokeland is a sports reporter for the Courier & Press. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @kylesokeland or email at kyle.sokeland@courierpress.com.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Five Southwestern Indiana girls soccer teams win IHSAA sectional championships
Reporting by Kyle Sokeland, Evansville Courier & Press / Evansville Courier & Press
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