By Aaron Swaney
Herald Writer
EDMONDS – For Archbishop Murphy freshman Kat Taylor, only one thing came to mind when she found herself one-on-one with the University Prep goalie in overtime.
Shoot for the corner.
And that’s just what she did as her game-winning goal squeezed into the right corner of the goal to lead the Wildcats to a 2-1 victory over University Prep in the quarterfinals of the Class A/B state playoffs Saturday at Edmonds Stadium.
With the win Archbishop Murphy advances to the semifinals where they’ll meet Overlake at 4 p.m. Friday at Federal Way Stadium.
“I’m just excited we’re in the final four,” said Taylor. “We have to keep up the intensity and continue to play hard.”
Taylor’s goal in overtime broke a 1-1 tie created by a late University Prep goal by Chloe Jones. In the second half alone, Jones had countless shots on goal, but each one was just too high or too wide.
With five minutes remaining in regulation, Jones finally snuck a left-footed kick around the Archbishop Murphy goalie to even everything up.
With Jones wreaking havoc throughout the second half, Archbishop Murphy coach Pat Jack knew she had to do something to stop Jones and at least guarantee her girls overtime.
“After her goal, we had to put someone on (Jones),” said Jack. “So we put Olen (Greig) on her and she shut her down.”
Not only did Grieg shut the potent Jones at the end of regulation and in overtime, but she also looped the ball over the University Prep defense to Taylor for the game-winning goal.
Before her overtime heroics, Taylor also had a hand in Archbishop Murphy’s first goal.
In the first half, Taylor put a corner kick directly in front of the goal for teammate Lindsay Shandera, who went airborne and collided with University Prep goalie Clara Hard while heading the ball down. When the ball came down, Shandera quickly kicked it into the goal to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead that would last until Jones’ goal late in the second half.
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