Staff Photo/Preston Byers Gilmore Academy’s Abigail Steiner, 27, and Howland College’s Grace Villwock, 17, play as the Lancers beat the Tigers 3-2 in overtime of the playoffs at Howland on Monday. Chased the ball down the field during the won game.
HOWLAND — The Howland girls team looked poised to advance to the Division III, Northeast 2 District final. As the clock ticked down on the home scoreboard Monday night, the Tigers inched closer to victory over Gilmore Academy.
But with less than two minutes left before the final whistle, the Lancers’ Elaina Klein-Ruminski tied the game and turned the tide. Klein Ruminski scored again in sudden-death overtime, and the Tigers’ historic season ended with a 3-2 loss.
“That’s why people say soccer is such a brutal sport,” Howland head coach Greg Mitchell said. “We did everything we could to win tonight, but we put the ball in the back of the net every chance we had.”
Until Monday, Howland’s season was going about as expected. The Tigers set or tied multiple program records, including wins, streaks, goals, and assists.
However, the Tigers were unable to score a goal against Gilmore, which was unusual. Fifteen minutes into the game, the Lancers took the lead with their first scoring chance, but Howland watched his shot go right and left and over the net, but crucially it didn’t go between the posts.
The failure to score was not due to a lack of chances, which frustrated and worried Mitchell.
“Sometimes when the game unfolds and you’re there a lot, you hope it doesn’t go that way, but you can feel it,” Mitchell said.
Elise Christie’s goal just past the halfway mark of the first half seemed to ignite Howland’s typically explosive attack. However, the Tigers continued to miss key chances to build a lead.
After halftime, the teams picked up where they left off. Howland mostly controlled the pace of the game, and Gilmore made the most of his relatively limited opportunities at the net.
The score, tied for more than 66 minutes, finally tipped in Howland’s favor when Grace Villwock’s shot bounced off a Gilmore defender and into the net, giving the Tigers the lead.
Mitchell thought that advantage would allow his team to “finish it” and walk away with a win.
But the soccer gods had other plans, Mitchell said.
With 1:47 left in the game, Klein-Ruminski gave life to the Lancers and a chance to advance to the regional finals.
Moments later, in 15 minutes of sudden-death overtime, Klein-Ruminski fired a shot on goal as the players formed a scrum, sealing Gilmore’s lead.
The loss devastated Howland’s players, many of whom cried for more than 20 minutes after the game ended.
Despite his disappointment, Mitchell had a smile on his face and enthusiastically praised his team.
“They’ve been by my side for a long time, so I know that regardless of the outcome, I’m (proud) when they play well. That’s why I feel like this right now,” Mitchell said. spoke. “I know they’re disappointed, but I’m really, really proud of the way they’ve played all season and really happy.”
Mitchell hopes the loss doesn’t tarnish what he called “the best season.”
Either way, his pride in the 2024 team is unwavering, as evidenced by the coach gathering the entire team at midfield for a few photos after the loss.
“I’m not really a big photo guy, but I’ve never had a photo with them all season, other than on photo day,” Mitchell said. “But I just wanted to get one shot with them around the tiger…
“I just wanted to take one with them, especially the seniors. This class is my first class in four years, if you want to call it that. I just wanted to have that memory. ”
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