Lenape girls' soccer coach Kevin Meder called it "a hustle goal."
"I just remember seeing an opening," said junior forward Rachelle Ross. "And I went for it."
With 6 minutes, 56 seconds remaining in regulation, Lenape midfielder Tori Prager served a ball that landed about 10 yards in front of the net. With a defender between her and the goal, Ross slid directly into the ball with the outside of her foot, forcing it through the defender and into the back of the net.
In a scrappy, back-and-forth game, Ross' score was fitting. It sent the Indians to a 1-0 win over Shawnee (12-4-3) in Sunday's Coaches Tournament semifinals at Eastern. The Indians (14-3), the five-time defending Coaches Tournament champions, will play host Eastern in the final Saturday at 6 p.m.
Shawnee, ranked No. 3 in South Jersey by the Inquirer, maintained a consistent attack throughout most of the match.
But the Lenape defense, led by goalie Alicia Hampton (six saves), looked strong in turning away an athletic Shawnee offense.
In the other semifinal, Eastern sophomore Imani Taylor made eight saves to secure a 3-0 home win over Cherokee.
Lenape 0 1 - 1
Shawnee 0 0 - 0
Goal: Rachelle Ross.
Saves: L- Alicia Hampton 6; S- Glade Nugent 7.
Eastern 2 1 - 3
Cherokee 0 0 - 0
Goals: Sarah Kane, Madison Tiernan, Rachel Wood. Saves: E-Imani Taylor 8
