Central Bucks South girls drop heartbreaker in state final
HERSHEY, Pa. - Sophia Boggs dove to her left. She met the ball and hit it away. The Central Bucks South goalkeeper made it look effortless - just as she has been doing since she first earned a spot in the starting lineup as a freshman.
HERSHEY, Pa. - Sophia Boggs dove to her left. She met the ball and hit it away.
The Central Bucks South goalkeeper made it look effortless - just as she has been doing since she first earned a spot in the starting lineup as a freshman.
It was anything but.
The Colgate recruit did it again in the second half at HersheyPark stadium in the PIAA Class 4A championship game.
She stretched out high, extending herself to punch the shot wide.
Those types of saves, as well as the 16 shutouts - she has allowed more than one goal just three times this season - highlight just how hard it is to score on Boggs and her stingy defensive line.
Which is why when the golden goal scored by Canon-McMillan's Addie Roman with only 4:25 remaining in overtime hit the back of the net, Boggs collapsed inside her box.
Some of her teammates did, too.
"I just leave everything I have on the field all the time, so that's why that last goal going in was so upsetting," Boggs said. "I make the saves I can, and sometimes you just can't make it, and that's what happened today."
The Titans (19-6-1) fell, 1-0, on Saturday in the program's first- ever appearance in a state final.
"At the end of the day, you are really upset that you didn't win first place, but you have to think about everything you did accomplish," Boggs said. "We accomplished so much this year - not only the records, the shutouts - but I've never played with a group of girls that is so connected and love each other so much."
C.B. South had a plethora of chances - both with the wind at its back and going against it - but the dominant play couldn't result in a goal.
"It does make it more frustrating," senior Kylie Walsh said. "We had so many chances the second half, and we didn't put any in. But then going into overtime knowing we had the wind, I just thought it was a matter of when we were putting it in, I just really wasn't expecting that."
"Keep your head up, white," a fan yelled from the fence just above the field as the team made its way to the locker room.
"Keep your head up, South," she said next.
Why shouldn't they? The Titans made history, after all.
Canon-McMillan 0 0 1 - 1
Central Bucks South 0 0 0 - 0
Goal: CM-Addie Roman.
Saves: CM-Megan Virgin 8; CBS-Sophia Boggs 4.
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