TOURNAMENT SOCCER Brendlinger propels Fitch in overtime

The Falcons will play Canfield in a district semifinal.
By CHUCK HOUSTEAU
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
AUSTINTOWN -- Austintown Fitch High goalkeeper Kristi Brendlinger is only a sophomore, but she performed like a seasoned veteran when the Division I sectional championship game against Boardman was on the line.
Brendlinger turned back three Spartans' shots in the shootout following overtime to enable the Falcons to win, 3-1.
The shootout session followed 80 minutes of regulation play and 20 more minutes of overtime action which saw the two teams battle to a 4-4 tie.
"Kristi's a seasoned soccer player even though she is just a sophomore," said Fitch coach Carlo Trafficante. "She's a very smart goal keeper and she stepped it up when it counted."
Even though the game meant a trip to district play against Canfield game, Brendlinger said she was only doing her job.
"This could have been our last game so I wanted to do a good job for the seniors," Brendlinger said. "It felt good to stop their shots."
The overtime and shootout session didn't seem possible as the Falcons were in control of a 4-3 lead late in regulation.
But a corner kick by Boardman's Caitlin Hackett wasn't cleared by Fitch and Brittany Sirak scored the tying goal with just 1:13 remaining.
Scoring barrage
There was plenty of scoring between the two teams who earlier this year played a very close regular season game which the Spartans won, 2-1.
Boardman (11-3-4) scored first on a goal by Lauren Syrak at 33:46 of the first half.
The Falcons (11-4-2) countered with a goal by Dina Harris on an assist from Danielle Storey at 29:43.
Boardman retook the lead on a 30-yard free kick by Hackett minutes later and with 9:32 remaining in the half Fitch's Kelly Croysdale scored on a penalty kick for a 2-2 halftime score.
Brittany Syrak scored a goal early in the second half but Fitch quickly tied it on a free kick by Jodi Bowlen at 19:20.
Croysdale then scored with 16:44 remaining in regulation on another penalty kick to give the Falcons the late lead.
In the shootout, Fitch got goals by Bowlen, Kayla Brace and Brittney Getz. Boardman's goal was scored by Jenny Singleton.
"It was a typical Fitch-Boardman game," Trafficante said. "We wanted to keep the pressure on them and force them to give up corner kicks and that's what we did."
The Falcons out-shot Boardman 35-12.
"We thought we had momentum heading into overtime by scoring that last goal so late," Boardman coach Fawzi Mujahed said. "But Fitch is a tough team and they were able to pull [the game] out."