Late rally clinches trip to state final

from Miami Herald

It was hot. It was humid. It was late. They were close to exhaustion, frustrated, exasperated and down by a goal.

Their season was dripping away. But this was American Heritage.

No sweat.

No panic.

No problem.

The Heritage girls' soccer team knows all about life in the final minutes. It's where they live, where they prosper. It is why they are alive today and headed for the Class 3A state title game against Jacksonville Bolles at noon.

They stormed into the final, scoring twice in the final 13 minutes -- including a game winner with 48 ticks on the clock. It was just enough to beat Boca Raton St. Andrew's 2-1 Friday afternoon in the semifinals at Pepin Stadium, where the Heritage players danced off the field.

They could have floated.

That's how dizzy and wonderful it felt to win with a comeback they'll be talking about for years.

''Happy, real happy. I don't know what to say,'' said Haliegh Stremanos, trying to find a way to explain just what it felt like to nail the game winning goal.

She had help.

Sara Mira sent the ball up the right side, where Jannel Johnson, who was brilliant all afternoon, took the ball and challenged St. Andrew's goalkeeper Catalina Perez one more time.

Perez stepped out, and Johnson zipped a beautiful cross the other way. Perez's head snapped back, her body spun. But it was too late. Stremanos was bolting toward the goal. Perez was helpless. Stremanos was perfect. And just like that, it was 2-1.

''It's kind of been the story of our season,'' said Heritage coach Phil Zayas. ``It has happened so many times this year when we have had to score in the final minutes to win the game.''

It was the 24th goal of the season for Stremanos, who will remember this one long after she has forgotten everything else.

Heritage out-shot the Scots 14-1, but it took Johnson's headstrong drive in the 67th minute to finally find the back of the net. Johnson, a freshman, and Perez locked wills all afternoon.

But with the season slipping away, Johnson drove past three defenders, fighting her way to another 1-on-1 showdown with Perez, who had already made 10 saves. Perez jumped out and stole another one from Johnson for save No. 11.

But this time the ball skipped away, and Johnson was there to follow her own shot. She nailed it.

It was all Heritage (25-2-2) after that.

''No I really wasn't nervous,'' said Johnson of the comeback. ``I know we always pull through.''