Tuesday night’s victory for the Lawrence High girls soccer team served as a momentous one.

The Lions won a dramatic 1-0, four-overtime, penalty-kick shootout. They defeated rival Free State High. They became the first city girls soccer team in school to reach the regional championship.

“It was big,” junior Madison Bertrand said. “We made history in Lawrence High girls soccer.”

Bertrand, who scored the shootout goal against Free State, and the rest of her teammates must move past that significant victory quickly.

Tonight at 6, top-seeded and uber-talented Washburn Rural (12-3-2) plays host to LHS, and the winner will advance to the state tournament.

“They’re well coached,” LHS coach Matt Anderson said. “They’re very fundamentally sound, and they take care of the teams they’re supposed to.”

Rural defeated LHS, 3-1, during a snowy game on April 13 in Topeka. The loss showed the difference between the teams. Anderson said LHS can match Rural athletically, but the Lions have less experience. Abby Vestal is the Lions’ lone senior.

An LHS gaffe led to a Rural free kick in the first half, and that subsequent strike served as the first goal of the game en route to a 2-1 halftime advantage for the home team.

“We kind of put it on the table for them,” Anderson said. “We’re doing too much work for the other team.”

Those kind of miscues became common during a late-season, 0-8-2 swoon, which included back-to-back 7-0 losses to Olathe South and Olathe North.

Anderson did not use any fire-and-brimstone speeches to right the ship, but did preach patience as the team transitioned to a new defense, featuring a 4-4-2 alignment instead of a 3-4-3.

“We realized we’re a better team than we had been playing,” Bertrand said.

The team also healed. Toward the end of the season, injuries sidelined starting strikers Megan Andrews and Olivia Dykes. Except for Megan Grover and Amber Wustefeld, LHS should field a full squad today.

“This is a healthy as we’ve been,” Anderson said.

The Lions hope to ride hot goalie Emma Lumpe, who thwarted all shots on goal during more than 110 minutes Tuesday. That game represented a comeback of sorts for the sophomore, who alternated with freshman Jordan Payne late in the season.

Defeating Rural and earning a berth in state would serve as ultimate rebound for the entire team, and beating Free State has left LHS brimming with confidence as it takes on the favorite in the regional.

“We can beat them,” Bertrand said. “We have a lot of potential.”

To prepare for the contest, though, Anderson advised his team to rest after its marathon match versus the Firebirds.

“We’re a little tired,” Anderson said. “But we’ll be ready.”