Sussex Academy wins 3-2 in OT; Hastings nets golden goal
Early goals from Newark Charter in both halves nearly spelled doom for the Sussex Academy girls’ soccer team April 12, but a pair of late goals from Deb Williams set the stage for a Maya Hastings walk-off in the 3-2 OT win.
Making the moment all the more special, Hastings entered the game in overtime after sitting with a knee injury sustained in the second half.
“It was a conversation between Maya and I. I was like, ‘I only want you going back in the game if you think you can win it,’” said coach Chase Humphrey. “She finally looked at me and said, ‘I think I can win it.’”
While the game ended in joyous celebrations, it started with the girls down 1-0 less than 10 minutes into the first half. Less than four minutes into the second half, Newark Charter doubled its lead.
Opting for possession over panic, Sussex Academy pressed but did not abandon its shape, keeping the game close.
“This is one of those games where we have to trust in how we play and how we move the ball,” Humphrey said. “We faced adversity and nothing changed; as that momentum shifted, we kept our football and theirs kind of dwindled a bit.”
In the 70th minute, the Seahawks' persistence paid off when Williams connected on a beautiful off-foot shot that gave the goalie no chance as it nestled into the top-left corner.
“I've been practicing on being ambidextrous on both sides so they can't predict what I'm gonna do, but I've been practicing more on my left foot for power, and I was just so, so happy that it went in,” Williams said.
Knowing they needed another, the Seahawks briefly celebrated and parlayed their momentum into the game-tying goal, scored by Williams on a corner off the boot of eighth-grader Patricia Lara Nieto.
“This one was great, honestly, because in the past, we've had a couple of games where we were back and forth. Our response to being down today was amazing, especially after the first goal we got,” Williams said. “We immediately got up on them and got the second one immediately. We weren’t lost in or ego or complacent in our one goal, so it was just an amazing feeling to finish off the team.”
With the offense doing its part, it was time for the defense to come through, which it did to close the second half and in the first overtime.
“We trusted each other, we did our jobs, and I think that we did well as a team defensively,” said senior Ashley Alvarez Chavez.
With about two minutes left in the first overtime, a defensive stand led to a counterattack that put Hastings on a path to the win. Alvarez Chavez played the ball that set up the game-winner.
“I originally thought the girl who was in front of me was gonna kick it out, but then she backed off,” Hastings said.
The entire left side of the goal was open, due to Hastings charging at the right angle, and the sophomore used the perfect amount of touch to eliminate any shot the goalie had to save it, giving the Seahawks a 3-2 OT win over a talented Newark Charter team.
