Sophomore defender comes up with shot of her life in 1-0 triumph over Hidden Valley

TALENT — No sooner had the ball left the player’s foot than these words filtered from the bench of the Phoenix girls soccer team:

"That’s in the goal!"

There was no shortage of incredulity in assistant coach Dan Sporrer’s tone.

Here’s why:

Regulation time had expired in the scoreless match between District 6 powers Phoenix and Hidden Valley, and all but about 30 seconds of added time had evaporated.

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The shot was taken by Pirates sophomore defender Tamara Heryford, who hadn’t scored a goal in two years, that coming in youth play.

Oh, and she was 40 yards out. Repeat, 40 yards.

Nevertheless, the ball creased the air in a high arc, sneaked over the reaching hands of leaping Mustangs goalkeeper Melissa Henner and dropped into the goal.

Pandemonium drowned out the final whistle.

One-nothing, Phoenix.

Sporrer proved prophetic.

"I never score," grinned Heryford, who first was a bit dazed, then sprinted across midfield in jubilation as her teammates chased her down and smothered her in hugs.

"I was kind of shocked, actually," she said. "I didn’t think it went in but, yeah, I was real excited."

The drama brought to a conclusion a match already soap-opera rich in subplots.

Hidden Valley has been awash in turmoil because 20 players from last year didn’t return to the program, citing dissatisfaction with coach Gary Elledge. Among them were two starters and two part-time starters.

The school administration has supported the coach.

It was last year’s Mustangs, who, under Elledge, went undefeated in league, made it to the state quarterfinals and, in the process, handed the Pirates their first district loss in two seasons.

Even without key players, Hidden Valley has three who received all-district recognition last year and showed plenty of grit and talent to give Phoenix all it wanted.

"This is our league rival," said Jaclyn Unruh, the Pirates’ all-district goalkeeper. "They come every year ready to play. We knew we’d have to have a fired up game to be able to win. Even with all the problems they’ve had, they still have a great team."

Each side had scoring opportunities before Heryford’s heroics, but the presence of Unruh and Henner, the second-team goalkeeper in 2003, had a stifling impact on the conversion rate.

Phoenix, 2-0 in District 6, dominated the first half, which was spent almost entirely on the Mustangs’ side of the field.

In one telling sequence, Pirates Marci Klimek, Alex Hanscom and Ashley Watkins all shot from close range in rapid-fire succession, only to come up empty.

Head coach John Doty called it "that little popcorn match where four or five shots pinged all in at once."

Earlier, Phoenix had another good chance to score following a corner kick, but Klimek’s point-blank header under heavy pressure careened off the crossbar.

"It was really hard," said Unruh, "because we got all those opportunities and it was like, can’t we put one in? But they (Mustangs) played great to keep them out of the net."

The second-half flow was more equitable, but Unruh and Henner took turns making dazzling stops.

At one point, Doty called to Elledge that he’d provide a copy of the game tape so the sophomore Henner could show college recruiters when the time comes.

"We knew going in that we’d have to have absolutely the highest quality of shots ever to beat this girl," said Doty.

He also knew Hidden Valley, 1-1 in District 6, faced the same challenge.

If Henner was vulnerable, Doty said, it was on the high ball.

So Heryford, a second-team all-star last year, took that route. The ball came to her deep on the left side, and he didn’t hesitate to launch it. The ball grazed Henner’s fingertips but not enough to change its path.

Heryford wasn’t asked to contribute on offense last year because she wasn’t needed, said Doty. But it was no mystery she has a strong leg, so this year she was asked to handle corner kicks, long direct kicks and restarts.

"We just added one more thing to her to-do list," said Doty, "and she stepped up on it today."

Elledge marveled at Heryford’s game-winner and the overall quality of play.

"It was a perfectly placed ball at the perfect time," he said. "That’s the game of soccer, and it was well played today. I don’t think anyone wants a refund."

The final shot gave the Pirates a 12-11 edge in that department. They also led in corner kicks, 7-4, with all of Hidden Valley’s coming in a compacted sequence in the first half.

While it’s been a trying time for the Mustangs, it’s clear they are moving forward.

Elledge, in his fifth season, has talked with some of the players who defected and said some will be back next year.

"In no way do I feel like we’re short-handed," he said. "For this year, we have the right people out here doing the right job. I wouldn’t change anything for the experiences that all these kids are learning, whether they’re on the field with us or off the field. They’re learning lessons that are far bigger than soccer."

Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, or e-mail ttrower@mailtribune.com