MILTON – Goals from distance. Goals on set pieces. Goals on lightning-quick counterattacks.
The rematch of last year’s Division II title game between Rice and Milton lived up to the hype. And then some.
And after nearly 85 minutes, 11 goals and one pulsating comeback, the reigning champs were the ones celebrating over the rivals. Again.
Freshman Megan Marroquin fired in a hat trick, all from beyond the 18, including the walk-off winner in overtime from over 35 yards out, as Rice stormed back from a pair of three-goal deficits to snare a 6-5 high school girls soccer win over the Milton on Tuesday night.
“Honestly, I told them, ‘It’s going to be one hell of a story you are going to write,'” Rice coach Aubrey Ouellet said she told the players during halftime when they trailed 4-1. “They just bought in and lifted each other up.”
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Marroquin delivered the winner about three minutes to the extra session. She gathered a failed clearance from 40 yards away from net, took two touches and found the top left corner, just inside the post, to cap a stunning result.
“I think we really stayed positive,” Marroquin said. “No one got down.”
Reese Billings’ second goal forced overtime with 3:25 left in regulation for Rice (4-3-2), while Sunshine Clark posted nine saves. For Milton (7-2), Cianna Tomasi (two goals, assist) Savannah Monahan (goal, two assists), Holley MacLellan (goal, assist) and Lucy Spaulding (goal) led the way, with Ella Scharf turning back nine shots.
Milton blazes to early lead
While Rice might have gained an edge in possession in the opening minutes, and for most stretches of Tuesday’s clash, Milton’s ability to counter and press flummoxed the Green Knights’ back line.
And the Yellowjackets capitalized multiple times.
Monahan forced a turnover in the Rice 18 in the 13th minute, and slid a pass to Tomasi for the one-time finish and 1-0 lead. Then less than a minute later, Tomasi curled a left-footed cross into the box for Spaulding, who went far post to double the advantage.
“(Milton) has a really good counterattack and we just weren’t prepared for it,” Ouellet said.
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About six minutes after the second goal, MacLellan, a central midfield star, created space with a nifty move from distance and uncorked a shot that deflected off a Rice defender and in for a 3-0 margin.
Rice got on the board when Billings took Margot Rinehart’s through ball and curled a one-timer inside the near post. Milton then returned the lead to three with 90 seconds left in the half on Monahan’s long rip, which Clark couldn’t corral.
“Coming off the field you could tell they were pretty deflated, so the message was: Patience, one goal at a time,” Ouellet said.
Rice, Milton combine for three goals in 33 seconds
After Becky Penney knocked in Marroquin’s restart service to cut the deficit to 4-2 in the 49th minute, play turned up a notch with a flurry of activity.
A Milton hand ball just outside the 18 set up Rice for a free kick. Marroquin promptly swept in a 20-yard curling blast. Then on the kickoff, Rice quickly regained possession and Marroquin fired in a goal from at least 30 yards away to level the contest.
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The tie lasted all but 22 seconds.
Milton quickly broke down Rice, with Monahan threading a pass through the heart of the defense for Tomasi, who took a touch before slotting home a left-footed shot into the far corner for the teams’ third goal in 33 seconds of game time.
Rice, though, found another equalizer late in the contest. Clark, the goalie, boomed a kick past midfield that bounced over Milton defenders and onto the speedy Billings, who uncorked a 20-yard shot into the back of the net.
Marroquin gaining confidence as freshman star
Marroquin, a central midfielder, admitted she can be her toughest critic. But she relies on her teammates’ assurances to regain composure.
“Sometimes I get down on myself and my teammates help me through it,” Marroquin said.
Tuesday, each of Marroquin’s goals were better than the last. On the OT winner, Marroquin just got off her long-range effort as Milton defenders closed in.
“She stepped up when we needed her,” Ouellet said. “We know she’s capable of scoring those goals. I think it’s about getting her those opportunities.”
Ouellet said Marroquin is making the adjustment to the high school game.
“Every game is a big game. It’s very different than club soccer,” Ouellet said. “Seeing her tonight doing what she did, it’s a huge step forward for her in terms of being that clutch player that we know she can be.”
Rice and Milton hook up for Round 2 in South Burlington for the regular-season finale on Oct. 20.
“That was a huge comeback. We just have to set the tone again the next time we play them,” Marroquin said.
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Contact Alex Abrami at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @aabrami5.
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Vermont H.S. soccer: Rice rallies past Milton in championship rematch
