TIFFIN — Short-handed Clear Fork went down swinging.
Liberty-Benton scored a pair of second-half goals to rally for a 2-1 win over the Colts in a Division IV regional semifinal at Frost-Kalnow Stadium.
Clear Fork (16-3-2) reached the Sweet 16 despite losing four starters to season-ending injuries during the off-season and early in the regular season.
“I’ve never had a season quite like this one,” Clear Fork coach Brittany Bechtel said. “That team, what they did this year, it will be something I take with me to the day that I walk out of here.
“We went down fighting.”
Momentum Swings
The Colts struck first when freshman Maci Roberts collected a rebound and snuck it past L-B goalkeeper Lauren Erdeljac with 2:57 to play in the first half.
“The funny thing is in the first half we were up 1-0 and I felt like they were kind of the dominating team,” Bechtel said. “Then in the second half, when we’re putting the heat on, they squeak one trough on a transition play.
“The game is funny that way when you’re feeling like the momentum is swinging and it punches you.”
Liberty-Benton (18-2-1) scored the equalizer five minutes into the second half on Bella Flippin’s header.
Ally Ferris scored what proved to be the game-winner with 12:38 remaining when she took a pass from Reese Alexander and flipped a shot past Clear Fork keeper Morgan Crunkilton.
“There really weren’t words when we put that second one in,” Flippin said. “We were confident and looking forward to it.”
It was learning experience for young team
Clear Fork started seven underclassmen, including three freshmen. They were forced into action because of the injuries to Asia Bechtel, Layla Daugherty, Mya Perry and Kendall Baughman.
“Losing Asia and Layla and Mya and Kendall out of the gate … people leveled up into places they wouldn’t have been without the losses,” Bechtel said.
“I don’t know what kind of team we would be if we had all of our puzzle pieces together, but I do believe the loss of them (elevated) players that potentially would never be playing at the level they are now.”