RUSHVILLE — It’s all about keeping your head up, New Palestine junior Maddy Miller said. Even when you’re losing, especially when you’re losing, you’ve got to keep your head up.
The New Palestine Dragons battled against an aggressive opponent Saturday as they faced off against the Shelbyville Golden Bears to fight for the 2018 IHSAA Girls Soccer Sectional 28 Championship.
Despite Shelbyville’s continuous, high-contact approach to the game, the Dragons came out ahead 3-0, and they will advance to their regional competition next weekend at home against Danville.
New Palestine sustained a number of early fouls, and they were aware from the start that Shelbyville harbored a plan to try and wear them down physically, New Palestine head coach Gina Fannin said.
But her girls are tough; they just weren’t having it.
“We adjusted by getting the ball off quicker to get the movement going,” Fannin said.
Shelbyville appeared to lose steam in their aggression, especially as the Dragons countered with three unanswered scores before the end of the first half. Fannin said the endurance displayed by her team occasionally surprises even her.
“Honestly, I don’t know,” Fannin said with a smile. “They want to keep going. So they don’t give up. I tell them there’s a lot of mental stuff going on. When you say you’re tired, that’s your brain saying you’re tired. Your legs aren’t necessarily that tired. It’s your brain.”
New Palestine used the start of the game to cautiously adjust to Shelbyville’s aggressive play style. Twenty-two minutes in, Miller zipped a shot past Shelbyville goalkeeper Rylie Disney to finally put points on the board.
Miller said her team’s connectedness is easily their strongest asset.
“We’re making a lot of good connections with the ball,” Miller said. “I think mentally we’re connected, too.”
Megan Jolly also maneuvered around the Golden Bears’ swarming defense four minutes later to score, putting the score at 2-0. Shortly afterward, Victoria Crowder was knocked off her feet by an overeager defender, which warranted a yellow card from the referee.
Crowder’s response was to pop back to her feet and take the fight to Shelbyville’s goal line; assisted by Miller, Crowder scored a goal off of a header, putting another point in the books. The scoreboard read 3-0 at the match’s final buzzer.
The Dragons’ fortitude in the face of varying types of resistance have carried them successfully through the season this far, Fannin said. And while their resilience and ability to adapt are traits that make them a winning team, it’s their closeness that truly makes them strong, she said.
“I think our strongest asset is just the team chemistry,” Fannin said. “They’re all close to each other. We’ve got 13 seniors. They’ve all grown up together. They’re all going to want it together, and they’re not going to give up.”
