The Benton Lady Tigers advanced to the semifinals of the Division I state playoffs in dramatic fashion Monday afternoon at Tiger Stadium.
With her team trailing No. 13 seed Northshore 1-0, No. 5 Benton’s Eden Whiteman scored on a beautiful free kick from the sideline with about eight minutes left in regulation. The kick from about 30 yards out curved into the left side of the goal over the outstretched arm of the leaping goalkeeper.
The game went into overtime tied at one. Neither team was able to score in the first 10-minute period.
About halfway through the second overtime period, Benton’s Baleigh Ware drew a penalty close to the goal. Karsyn Best took the penalty kick. Lining up about 12 yards directly in front of it, she sent the ball past the diving goalkeeper into the net.
Benton Head Coach Jesse Dyer described overtime as “all heart.”
“Legs spent I told the team it was a mental battle now,” he said in an email message. “They stepped up and Baleigh Ware broke through before being fouled in the box. Karsyn made the pen and made history for our program.”
The Lady Tigers kept the Lady Panthers scoreless for the rest of the game with good defense.
With the 2-1 victory, Benton (22-4) advanced to the semifinals in girls soccer for the first time in school history.
The Lady Tigers will face the winner of Tuesday’s game between No. 1 Mount Carmel (19-3-4) and No. 8 Southside (19-6-2). If Mount Carmel wins, the Lady Tigers will travel to New Orleans. If Southside pulls the upset, the game will be at Tiger Stadium.
“I couldn’t be happier for these girls,” Dyer said. “They’ve been together since middle school. The players who live in Benton play for Benton. They’ve set high goals for themselves since day one and to see them come to fruition is a credit to the heart of this team. They don’t work hard for themselves, they work hard for the person next to them. The bond they share is special and it’s inspired the community and the future players of this team.”
Northshore (16-7-4) scored its goal about about eight minutes into the game. The Lady Panthers were the main aggressors in the first half and put a lot of pressure on the Lady Tigers. But Benton played good defense and kept Northshore from getting open shots.
“Northshore came out with a high tempo, and like all southern Louisiana teams brought physicality with them,” Dyer said. “We game-planned their tactics of attack but they were able to get a quick goal.
“I was very proud of the team for their composure to not back down from the challenge. We’ve gone behind inside a minute before this season and have come back so I knew they were capable. Going into halftime I saw the legs of Northshore start to drag and we were able to start to implement our style of play.”
The Lady Tigers came out much more aggressive in the second half. Benton had some scoring opportunities but couldn’t convert as Northshore played well defensively. The Lady Tigers also kept up the good defensive play, though, which contributed to the victory.
“We started the second half the way we ended the first with the lions’ share of possession with a few scattered chances but nothing that was especially threatening,” Dyer said. “The team showed trust in who we are to stick with it and it was a moment of brilliance from junior Eden Whiteman who got the tying goal. We continued to press for the winner but it didn’t come.”