Indian River’s Brooke Beam (right) scored what ended up being the go-ahead goal to lift the Indians into the DII girls soccer championship game. Indian River defeated Delaware Military Academy 2-1 Wednesday.
SMYRNA – With top-seeded Indian River leading by a goal late in the semifinals of the Division II Girls’ Soccer State Tournament, goalkeeper Fabrea’ McCray faced Delaware Military Academy’s Melanya Immediato on a breakaway with a chance to atone from an earlier miscue.
McCray took an aggressive line to the ball and sacrificed her body to make the stop, and the Indians held on to dispatch the Seahawks 2-1 Wednesday night at Smyrna High School
“I knew I had I made mistake earlier in the game, and I knew that got DMA’s motivation up. I didn’t see my teammates, so I knew I had to whatever it took to save that ball,” McCray, who made seven saves, said. “I wasn’t going to let the ball get by. I knew I had to take care of it and not let her get in.”
The mistake McCray described happened in the 49th minute when an Immeadiato shot went through McCray’s hands and right into the net to cut Indian River’s lead to 2-1.
Buccaneers strike early, advance to Division II Finals
The Indians had the lead thanks to a pair of goals in the first half. The first goal occurred in the 15th minute when Brooke Beam passed it deep into Delaware Military Academy’s end of the field, and Madison Hogsten corralled the ball, made a defender miss before shooting it in net.
Four minutes later, Hogsten set up the Indians’ go-ahead goal when she crossed it to Beam in front of the net, and Beam knocked it in to make it 2-0.
The win sends Indian River to the finals of the state tournament where it will play defending Caravel on Friday at Smyrna in a rematch of last year’s state title game where the Buccaneers won 3-1.
“We’re really excited because we lost last year, and we hope to win it this year,” Hogsten said.