Villa Joseph Marie falls to Moon in girls' soccer state title game
HERSHEY - Seven minutes. That's how long Murphy Agnew sat on the bench at HersheyPark Stadium being attended to by the trainers for a bloody nose, the result of a brutally hard foul from behind.
HERSHEY - Seven minutes.
That's how long Murphy Agnew sat on the bench at HersheyPark Stadium being attended to by the trainers for a bloody nose, the result of a brutally hard foul from behind.
It was the second half, and her Villa Joseph Marie soccer team found itself down just a goal in the PIAA Class 3A state championship game.
From 14 minutes, 47 seconds left in the contest until 7:38, when she was subbed back in, the forward waited.
Seven minutes.
It was time the senior could have spent dribbling through defenders or connecting on combinations to create scoring chances.
Seven minutes.
It was precious seconds during which the Harvard recruit could have worked the same offensive magic the Jems have grown accustom to over the last four seasons.
"When I got back on," Agnew said. "I was just so focused on getting a goal back for my team. It was awful. I hated sitting on the bench. I can't describe it. I just wanted to get back on the field."
Her coach, her teammates, and the Villa fans wanted that, too.
Despite a spirited second-half effort, the Jems fell to Moon, 2-1, on Friday night.
"It's just really special," Agnew said of three straight trips to the state title game. The Jems lost in the state title last year and won it all two years ago.
"I'm sad we lost, but I think I'm more sad that this is my last game ever as a Villa soccer player," Agnew said. "I guess that is just it in a nutshell."
After going down, 2-0, at the break, the Jems (21-2-1) had life early in the second half as a Miranda Behr shot ricocheted off the cross bar within the first five minutes. The near miss gave Villa momentum, and in the 62nd minute Agnew took a pass from her sister, Sam, and put it away, low and in the right corner.
Her 28th tally of the season and 98th career was just what her squad needed.
"Hope," Agnew said. "Hope is such a powerful thing in soccer. It instills fear in the other team, and it kept us going until the last whistle."
After that whistle, having come so close, the Jems lined up to be announced one by one.
"Starting with Murphy Agnew," the voice said over the stadium's public address system.
"Murphy. Murphy. Murphy," the Villa faithful chanted with appreciation.
As if there was any other place to start.
Moon 2 0 - 2
Villa Joseph Marie 0 1 - 1
Goals: M- Chloe Kuminkoski, Emma Thomas; VJM- Murphy Agnew
Saves: M - Madison Sleva 3; VJM - Olivia Eife 3
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