Monroe rallies to send LCCC women home

“I thought we had them, but they finished their chances, and we couldn’t,” LCCC coach Jim Gardner said. “We out-shot them, had more shots on goal and more corner kicks, out-possessed them, but we just couldn’t finish in the final third.

“When (the Mustangs) got their chances in the second half, they did a good job of clinically putting them away.”

The Eagles held a 14-13 edge in shots, and a 10-9 advantage in shots on goal. They also took six corner kicks to Monroe’s four.

LCCC (15-2-2) took a 1-0 lead in the 52nd minute when sophomore midfielder and former Cheyenne Central standout Faith Meredith took the ball from Mustangs defender Mayara Quieroz Reis, and sent a left-footed shot past goalkeeper Stefane Rosa.

Gardner was concerned about Monroe’s ability as a counter-attacking team, and that’s exactly how it got back into the match.

Grabias ran onto a long pass and beat LCCC freshman defender Eli Olsen to get a one-on-one with freshman goalkeeper Larissa Sitzler. Grabias leveled the score 1-1 by shooting into the far-side netting in the 61st minute.

Sitzler made a sliding save on Laia Munoz Danon, who got behind the defense in the 68th to keep the match tied.

Grabias gave Monroe a 2-1 advantage in the 70th, when she won a battle for the ball along the left side of the penalty area with LCCC freshman Ellie MacKendrick. Grabias struck a shot to the far post past a diving Sitzler.

“Their counterattack was very good,” Gardner said. “They caught us twice with it. We did a good job of keeping them in front of us. But we had some heavy legs from playing on back-to-back days, had a touch of inexperience and got caught.”

Grabias extended the Mustangs’ lead to 3-1 in the 78th when she ran into space inside the 18 and took a Sydoney Clarke pass in stride and struck a lefty shot past Sitzler.

LCCC didn’t go away quietly, though. It pushed ahead and got a handful of set piece opportunities.

Freshman Lauren Amerena’s free kick from the right side of the 18 hit off Monroe’s keeper and shot out toward the center of the field. Freshman midfielder Taylor Meyrick ran onto the ball and struck a shot that went in to cut the lead to 3-2.

“We had some really great corners and crosses, and we had chances, but we just couldn’t quite finish them,” Gardner said. “That’s just the way the ball rolls.”

Monroe went 2-0 in pool play to advance to the semifinals. LCCC was 1-1 in pool play.

MONROE 3, LCCC 2

Halftime: 0-0.

Goals: LCCC, Meredith (unassisted), 52. MC, Grabias (Tola), 61. MC, Grabias (Clarke, Lamb), 69. MC, Grabias (Clarke), 78. LCCC, Meyrick (unassisted), 84.

Shots: MC 13, LCCC 14. Shots on goal: MC 9, LCCC 10. Saves: MC 8 (Rosa); LCCC 6 (Sitzler).

Corner kicks: MC 4, LCCC 6. Offsides: Unavailable. Fouls: MC 14, LCCC 10. Yellow cards: MC 1 (Fiabema, 27).