DANE FUELLING
WZBD.com
One yard.
That’s all Gwen Laurent needed.
Deep into the night in the 76th minute, Laurent leaned over and propped up the ball for a free kick, just one yard off the end line, ten feet from the edge of the box. The Bellmont Braves had won the kick after Lanie French was shoved in the back, trying to receive a throw-in.
What happened next was pure skill by the senior leader, handing the reins of the NE8 title race to the Bellmont Braves.
Laurent sailed the ball over the top of the two-man wall and just within reach of the fingertips of Leo goalie Addyson Wenger, who had no chance of doing anything but tipping the ball up into the air on a leap.
The ball looped toward the far post, where freshman Ashley Bleke was making her run and the freshman center back did nothing but clear out space as she watched it bounce across the goal line and into the net for the contest’s only score.
The ensuing celebration made it clear that it was Laurent’s power and height on the free kick that beat the Leo keeper, sending the Bellmont Braves to yet another 1-0 victory over the mighty Leo Lions.
The victory would not have been possible without the immense effort of the Bellmont back line and goalie Emily Barton (shown above), who made several diving saves in the first half and snuffed out every scoring chance the Lions threw at her in the second half.
“Ain’t gonna be no rematch.”
The iconic words of Rocky Balboa might be the best way to describe how the Braves felt after the game, knowing that there will not be a second game between these two teams.
After eliminating the Braves in the regional finals the last two seasons (both games ending at 1-0), the Lions are no longer in the same class as Bellmont.
That opens the door for coach Steve Lee’s Braves, who are now riding a six-game win streak, to not think about a revenge match or to worry about how the Lions will be different on the artificial turf. Instead, they can focus on the biggest challenge still looming in the regular season – beating the undefeated (in the NE8) DeKalb Barons at the end of the month and claiming an undisputed conference title.
Up Next
The Braves will play at Kreager against FW Snider Wednesday and again at Jay County Thursday.
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