Comets win two, but shootout denies SCC title game

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, December 10, 2008

By RYAN ARENA

Sports Editor

St. Charles left the Hahnville tournament with no official losses this past weekend, but didn’t advance to the tournament final when it fell to Comeaux in a post game shootout, 5-4.

The two teams were each 2-0, and playing for the right to face Hahnville in the championship game.

A Comeaux score in the final minute of regulation erased a 1-0 SCC lead and forced a tie between the two teams. A shootout was contested to determine which team would advance.

Each team hit its first four shots, but the Comets (6-2-2) missed the fifth to give Comeaux the victory.

“It was a good game. It’s a tough way to lose, of course,” said St. Charles Coach Don Peyton. “Our last two tournaments, we lose on a penalty kick and then a shootout. But I think, being a small school, we surprised a lot of people.”

Hahnville defeated Comeaux in the final game to win the tournament title.

Reyna Lubin scored St. Charles’ lone goal in the Comeaux game.

The game was a physical encounter, something Peyton said his girls are up for.

“They let them play out there. And my girls don’t mind,” he said. “They can play relaxed, a fast paced game, or they can play physical.”

St. Charles opened the tournament with its second win of the season over Destrehan, 3-0.

Lubin scored all three of the Comet goals in the win.

The teams went into halftime scoreless, after trading control of the ball for most of the first half.

But it didn’t take long for SCC to establish a lead once the second half kicked off. Two minutes into the second half, Lubin weaved through the Wildcats’ defense and found an open shot, which she buried to put SCC ahead 1-0.

“That took the win out of our sails,” said Destrehan Coach Scott Rigby. “They’ve got a tough team.”

“I got the pass, and I was one on one with the goalie,” said Lubin. “I love taking that on, and with the help of my teammates, I got a chance to score.”

Six minutes later, she struck again, this time after receiving a pass on the right flank. She fired it just inside the post to put SCC ahead 2-0.

The win became all but official 25 minutes into the second half when Lubin fired it at the Destrehan goal. The ball was blocked, but it dribbled in for the third and final goal of the game.

“We played a little more of a control game in the second half, and it showed,” Peyton said. “We don’t need to be getting into track meets with these teams. If we settle down, we can play with just about anyone.”

Said Lubin: “We were able to play our game. We made good, quick passes, got good feeds, and we executed to score when we needed to. And it got us the victory.”

In the Comets second game, SCC defeated Central Lafourche 1-0. Shelby Schneider scored the winning goal on a put back.