MONMOUTH — There was more than just desperation in their motivation.

The St. Dom’s girls’ soccer team wasn’t out for just the tying or winning goal Wednesday as their varsity girls’ soccer game wound down. The Saints wanted to pull the game out for their goalie and leader Kelly Pomerleau.

“I think we just wanted to get it back for our goalie,” said sophomore forward Emma Byrne.  “The whole team likes to work together. I think the whole team just wanted to work hard and try to get that last goal.”

Pomerleau and Monmouth’s Kylie Kemp were both injured with 3:41 left in regulation during a scary collision. Kemp scored the go-ahead goal on the play, but both players suffered possible concussions and were taken away by ambulance.

After the lengthy delay, the Saints were ready to respond and scored two quick goals to rally for a stunning 2-1 win.

“It showed a lot of maturity,” said St. Dom’s coach Alicia Pelletier. “I was very pleased with how we handled the whole situation and how we handled the whole game.”

Byrne scored the tying goal with 2:53 left in regulation, less than a minute after the game resumed. Then she struck again just 12 seconds into the second overtime.

“They just wanted it more,” said Monmouth coach Gary Trafton. “They went harder to the ball. They made things happen. We just kind of sat back. St. Dom’s was a little more hungry at the end to tie the game up.”

The game had been a stalemate right up until 3:41 remained. That’s when a ball was sent ahead for Kemp. She rushed onto the ball and got a head on it. At the same time, Pomerleau came charging out of the net trying to get to the ball first. The two collided and appeared to hit head-to-head.

The goal was Kemp’s 59th of her career, just two shy of the school mark of 61.

“She got hit in the nose and in the mouth,” said Trafton.

Both remained on the ground for a lengthy period of time while being attended to by a trainer.

Pomerleau was wobbly when she got to her feet and was put on a stretcher before being transported to the hospital. Kemp was put on an immobilization board as a precaution for a previous back injury. She was subsequently put on a stretcher and put in another ambulance. The game was delayed nearly an hour.

“(Pomerleau) wanted to keep playing,” said Pelletier. “Her neck hurt and she wanted to get up and keep going. She was worried about letting down her team. She was really disappointed because she thought she had let down her team for letting that goal in. That was her biggest concern.”

Her Saints teammates kept her in mind when play resumed. They introduced the cheer “Pray for K” that they used for the rest of the game.

“Pray for K was their mantra, not just for Kelly but also for Kylie,” said Pelletier. “They’re both K’s. I have a great group of girls who think not only about themselves but about the others around them.”

The game had already been a challenge with the hot and humid conditions. Both coaches were scrambling to try and keep players fresh and hydrated.

When the game resumed with 3:41 left, the Saints (2-0) had some energy to use. That turned into the tying goal rather quickly when Byrne buried a shot from the outside with 2:53 left.

“I think our senior (Marley Byrne) picked it up and the juniors picked it up,” said Pelletier. “I think we all pulled it together really well. I think we all stepped up as a team, even the bench. We had positive words for every body out there.”

The game went into overtime. Nicole Robitaille, Pomerleau’s replacement, came out to break up one Monmouth opportunity, but it was the best bid the Mustangs (2-1) had.

Then to start the second overtime, Byrne got the ball in the midfield and dribbled by a handful of defenders for the game-winning shot.

“I was really looking to get an open anything,” said Byrne. “I didn’t think it would be that great of a hit, but when it went in, I was just so happy for the team and that we could come back for Kelly.”

Trafton had been shouting from the start of the second overtime to mark up Byrne on the front line. He said there was little his keeper, Mikayla Cameron, could have done on the shot. She played well despite getting banged up early in the game in a collision of her own. She left the game but returned moments later.

“When you go 50 yards and past every body, you can’t expect the goalie to bail you out,” said Trafton. “You can’t let a girl go down the middle of the field like that.”

kmills@sunjournal.com

Copy the Story Link