Vermilion rally stuns Norwalk

NORWALK — Momentum is fleeting — especially in a tournament atmosphere. With under 11 minutes remaining in Saturday's Division II sectional championship match, No. 5-seeded Norwalk led No. 6 Vermilion by a 4-2 score at Contractors Stadium at the Warren C. Whitney Complex. The Truckers, who lost to Vermilion, 4-1, on Oct. 7, had scored twice in four minutes to break a 2-2 tie and appeared on the verge of a return to the district semifinals. But the Sailors never went away, and a penalty kick goal with 3:41 forced overtime, where Vermilion found the back of the net again at the 10:50 mark for a stunning 5-4 win. Vermilion (11-5-1) advanced to Wednesday's district semifinal at Lexington, where Div. II state coaches poll champion and reigning state finalist Mansfield Madison (15-0-3) awaits. Norwalk ends its season with a 13-3-1 record. "It was a very different match for us than when we played them last time, because that first time we fell apart completely when they scored on us," Norwalk coach Michelle Sandor said. "I felt we came out better prepared mentally and physically and played them in a more competitive way like we should have the first time." Trailing 1-0 late in the first half, Norwalk's Avery Dumbeck scored for the Truckers to tie the score going into halftime. Nyah Daniels — the SBC Lake Division Most Outstanding Performer — then scored with 23 minutes left to give Norwalk a 2-1 lead. But just under four minutes later Vermilion's Mikayla Lindo — the SBC Bay MOP — scored her second goal to tie the match with 20:16 left. Norwalk again came right back, as a corner kick from Gwen Olcott to Daniels put the Truckers ahead 3-2 with 15:01 left. It was the 45th goal of the season (14th-most in OHSAA history) and 108th in Daniels' career, who is a junior. With 10:52 left, it was Olcott, who finished with two assists, scoring for Norwalk to put the Truckers up 4-2. But just 2:09 later, Vermilion freshman Livia Penton scored from almost point blank range to make it a 4-3 deficit. With 3:41 left, Rose Sewall was tripped up streaking toward the Norwalk net, and the Truckers were whistled for the infraction. Lindo then got the ensuing penalty kick past Makaila White to tie the score at 4-4. In the overtime, Norwalk got two quick shots on goal, but were denied. Lindo then won the game for the Sailors with her fourth goal 4:10 into the overtime. It was Lindo's 32nd goal of the season, also giving her the Vermilion program record. "It was hard. We were up and had the momentum, but we had some unfortunate, unlucky plays happen," Sandor said. "There was the own goal and the PK — it's a painful way to go down, I guess, because you feel like it wasn't as earned as it could have been — especially in a tournament setting. "In overtime, anything happens there," she added. "She (Lindo) had a great shot, and had a great shot on the restart — there's not anything Makaila or anyone can do about those … but I'm not sure we should have been in that position to start with." Norwalk is graduating seven seniors from this season's roster, including White, Olcott, Dumbeck, Kayla Cring, Elena Barber, Elise Zieber and Kara Mosser. Over the four years, the Truckers have won four SBC Lake Division championships — with no losses — and a Div. II sectional title. "What a group of seniors, seven of them who have just been a tremendous core to this program for the last four years," Sandor said. "It's a bittersweet ending. We've enjoyed all four years with them, but we have to say goodbye at some point and we were hoping it wasn't today. "We'll move forward with a lot of rebuilding and positions to fill going forward," she added. "The offseason will be important and we'll see where things go next year."