TURNER — Tori Zupancic watched and waited.

While play focused everyone’s attention to the right side of the field, the Leavitt senior  did what she was supposed to do. She wasn’t watching the play. She was anticipating it.

So when the ball was crossed.  Zupancic was pretty much all alone at the left side of the net. It was a bit surprising, but not for the Hornet striker.

“I was waiting for it,” she said. “We have a lot of good crosses. I wasn’t there on the other ones. Finally, Desiree (Tweedie) hit it to me, and I got it in. I was anticipating it. We do that every time. (Coach Cifelli) gets mad if we don’t.”

That goal with 5:38 left in regulation Tuesday lifted Leavitt to a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over MCI. The Huskies took a 1-0 lead early in the game and had the Hornets battling from behind.

“You can do a lot of good things, but a couple of bad bounces or a couple of shots that go left or right and all of a sudden you’re looking at a 1-0 score,” said Cifelli, whose team finished the regular season 8-3-3. “I give credit to MCI. They took advantage of a bad play out back.”

MCI (5-8-1) was desperate for a win. Sitting just outside a playoff spot in Eastern B, a victory over the Hornets might have done the trick. When Victoria Cunningham drilled a shot in off the right post at 4:53, the Huskies had momentum.

Leavitt nearly fell behind 2-0 with 23:54 left in the half. Ashley Alton,  who assisted on the first tally, headed the ball past Leavitt keeper Kelly Pomerleau. Hornet defender Tatianna Sierra cleared the ball away from an open net.

“Tatianna made a huge save,” Cifelli said.

Leavitt was slow to connect on its passes and create quality scoring bids early. Late in the half, the Hornets started to threaten. Zupancic hit a nice shot that was saved by goalie Alana Oliver. Mariah Treadwell had a header go wide of the net.

“We started off a little slow but in the second half, we got going,” Zupancic said. “We picked it up a lot.”

Cifelli challenged his club at halftime. He wanted the Hornets to utilize their skill and possess the ball.  They needed to make Oliver move a little more while showing a little fire after a flat first half.

Just 7:55 into the second half, Tweedie tied it. Taren McGray cross the ball from the right side, and Tweedie, like Zupancic, was near the far post for the redirection.

“That first one Desiree scored, we were able to cross it and make (Oliver) came across for it,” said Cifelli.

That goal sparked the Hornets. Though MCI had a dangerous cross by Hannah Emery go wide, Leavitt had the better opportunities down the stretch. None were better than Zupancic’s game-winner. Treadwell threw the ball in from the sidelines. Tweedie had control and was able to get it across to Zupancic.

“I don’t think the defense was expecting it,” Zupancic said. “I just settled it. After the first bounce, I shot it right in.”

MCI had one more try in the final minute when Paula Arias had a shot from the left side but Pomerleau made the save.

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