Pauline Kirbo Thames
February 10, 2009
Julia H. Richard
February 12, 2009
For the District 8-I champion Terrebonne Tigers soccer teams, it was a first round of emotional highs and lows.
On Saturday, the 24-seeded Tigers survived 110 minutes of action before finally prevailing in sudden-death penalty kicks 1-0 over ninth-seeded Fontainebleau.
Terrebonne’s Emilio Carbajal knocked in a header 42 minutes into the game for a 1-0 Tigers lead. Fontainebleau scored nearly 30 minutes later to tie the game 1-1
The score remained tied at the end of regulation. Then the drama began.
“We played two 10-minute overtimes, and nobody scored,” said Terrebonne head coach Juan Trejo. “Then we went to two five-minute golden goal periods, but nobody scored. Then it went to five penalty kicks. We both scored three times (Carbajal, Hunter Porche and Seth Pellegrin for Terrebonne) so the referee said we’re going into sudden death penalty kicks.”
In sudden death, Tiger goalie Craig Verdin blocked Fontaine-bleau’s first attempt. Then Ryan Ledet scored on the Tigers first shot to win the game.
“My guys were so tired after regulation and the overtimes, I was hoping they had something left,” Trejo said. “The penalty kicks were nothing compared to what happened on the field before that.”
The Tigers will play eighth-seeded Dutchtown at Tom B. Smith Stadium tomorrow at 6 p.m.
The 14-seeded Lady Tigers never recovered Thursday from an early deficit and lost to 19-seeded New Iberia 2-0.
The Lady Jackets got goals from Kristen LeJuene nine minutes into the first half and Rebecca Landry at the 48-minute mark in the second half.
For the Lady Tigers (19-3-1, 10-0 in district play), it was disappointing end to their fourth consecutive district championship season.
“We got out-hustled. It’s just that simple,” said Terrebonne head coach Virginia Lottinger. “It was nothing about a game plan. They just beat us to the ball.”
Terrebonne had numerous scoring chances but never found the back of the net.
It was a particularly tough evening for the school’s all-time goal scorer Jessica Herradon. Although she had seven shots on goal, the referee called her offsides at least 10 other times she tried to advance the ball up the field.
“They (New Iberia) did a good job of playing tight on her,” Lottinger said. “Their sweeper was just all over her. We played this team a couple of times in the playoffs before, so they faced it before. They knew what they were going to see.
Terrebonne had previously beaten New Iberia 3-0 in 2007 and 2-0 in 2006.
Despite the Lady Tigers’ physical play, getting out of defensive position on the two Lady Yellow Jackets scoring opportunities proved too much to overcome.
“On a lot of contested balls, we went in strong, and we risked getting our players injured,” Lottinger said. “But, was it enough? Obviously not.”
Vandebilt’s Matt Robichaux (right) and Ellender’s Jorge Collazo battle for the ball during the Terriers 8-0 Division II Bi-District Round win on Friday. * Photo by KEYON K. JEFF
