Lyman Memorial will play for DII crown

Nov. 3—LEBANON — It was 24 hours earlier that Lyman Memorial girls soccer coach Mark Morello — who recently moved to Columbia before the start of the school year — had bought a number of bags of candy to give out at Halloween.

Morello was left with plenty of candy as no trick or treaters came out for a visit for some tasty treats.

" Coach told us no candy before the game so it didn't weigh us down," junior Alyssa Judd jokingly said Tuesday evening under the Lyman Lights. "Now, we get to go home and eat some of it."

Those treats came after a well- deserved victory that puts the program in position to do something it has never done before. Win a tournament championship.

Top- seed Lyman Memorial ( 15- 1- 1) is in that position after Judd and Magda Carpenter scored second- half goals to rally for a 2- 1 victory over No.4 St. Bernard (9-4-3) in the Eastern Connecticut Conference Division II tournament semifinals.

Lyman Memorial will play for the title tonight at 5: 30 p. m. at East Lyme High School against No.2 seed Plainfield.

The Panthers ( 12- 3- 2) shutout No. 3 Montville, 3- 0, in the other semifinal game.

"We're all really excited," Judd said. " We really want to win this."

The Bulldogs fell into a 1- 0 hole at the half after Emily Hernandez gave the Saints a 1- 0 lead on a free kick in the 13th minute.

There were plenty of chances for Lyman Memorial throughout the opening 40 minutes where that one touch was missing by the slightest of margins.

And St. Bernard goalie Chloe Jennings made several diving saves.

One of those chances came moments before Hernandez opened the scoring.

" I thought we played a really good first half," Morello said. " We just couldn't put a finishing touch on it. At the half, I told them that if they continue to put on the pressure with that same mental approach and intensity, goals will come.

" I'm glad they proved me right."

Judd recorded the equalizer with 21: 12 remaining as she collected a ball served into the box from right to left from Avery Volle, turned and sent a low shot past Jennings into the corner.

" We had a couple of formation changes and I switched up to forward," Judd said. " Coach told me that I was going to have to crash forward when our runs came.

" I took that touch by, looked up and saw the wide- open net and knew where I had to place it."

And with 14:52 remaining, Lyman knocked in the go- ahead goal after Judd crossed a ball that ricocheted off several players.

The sixth or seventh bounce found the foot of senior Magda Carpenter who sent it into the goal.

" We knew that we had to pick things up being down a goal at the half," Judd said. "Everyone was supporting everyone.

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