It wasn't supposed

to end like this, but it did. McIntosh's Lady Chiefs, the top ranked soccer

team in AAAAA, fell to Pope in overtime on Saturday in the finals, 3-2.

The Lady Chiefs

struck first when Tabitha Lowey scored nine minutes into the game. Julie

Herdic played the ball up and Lowey beat the Pope defender with her speed

and slipped the ball past the oncoming goalkeeper. Pope had a number of

good scoring opportunities in the first half, many coming off transitions,

but they did not culminate in a goal thanks to the McIntosh defense and

great saves from keeper Megan Bernard. The Lady Chiefs went into the half

up 1-0.

The second

half started and McIntosh put lots of pressure on in the first few minutes.

Herdic had a scoring opportunity 13 minutes into the second half but got

her legs tangled up with the Pope goalie. Less than three minutes later,

Pope tied the game on a shot where the forward looked like she was going

to fall down, rather than put a ball in the right corner of the net. McIntosh

answered two minutes later when Herdic beat the Pope defender with her

speed and put the ball in the lower left corner of the net. Herdic finished

her high school career with 210 goals, fourth highest in U.S. history.

Pope didn't

quit. They put tons of pressure on the McIntosh defense and had several

good shots. They broke through with 15 minutes left. McIntosh was attempting

to clear the ball out of the area and Pope volleyed it to the back of

the net. The final 15 minutes of regulaton were intense. McIntosh began

to dominate the flow of play again but could not capitalize. The Lady

Chiefs had sevral corner kicks that were snatched out of the air by the

Pope goalie. The two teams entered the overtime periods tied at two goals

a piece.

In the high

school soccer playoffs, the two 10 minute overtimes are played in full.

Pope scored off a corner kick five minutes into the first overtime and

had McIntosh playing frantically for the final 15 minutes. The Lady Chiefs

dominated much of the play in the overtime periods, but could not break

through. In the end, they came up one goal short.

"We had

a tremendous run to the state final this season and obviously, the result

was not what we were hoping for," said Coach Stephen Buckner. "Losing

is an unfamiliar experience for these girls, but you have to accept it

when you're in the competitive arena."

The Lady Chiefs

had a great season, finishing the season with an overall record of 21-2.

They did not allow a goal in the playoffs until the second half of the

final, they won their fifth consecutive region championship, they faced

top teams from all-around the country at the adidas Challenge Cup and

went undefeated, and they had fun together as a team. The Lady Chiefs

scored 175 goals this season, sixth highest for a high school team in

U.S. history, while allowing only 12. They recorded 15 shutouts, including

four in the postseason.

McIntosh only

graduates three players from this year's squad; Herdic, Keri Pendergrass

and Lauren Kopec. The team will also welcome several incoming freshman

that currently play with a successful Lazers team.

It wasn't the

result they were hoping for, but the Lady Chiefs will battle to make it