Beeley’s goal sends Firebirds past Lions, 1-0

Free State's Marcela Ellebracht (4) and Maya Hodison (10) rush to hug freshman Sydni Beeley after Beeley's penalty kick broke a 0-0 tie while Lawrence High's Bess Davison (15) looks on during their City Showdown soccer match Thursday evening at FSHS.

For someone holding a giant ice pack over a swollen knot above her left eye, Free State High freshman Sydni Beeley sure had a big smile on her face as she walked away from the Firebirds’ home field Thursday night.

A little blood and a significant welt couldn’t alter her mood. Not after her penalty kick in the 66th minute lifted FSHS to a 1-0 City Showdown victory over rival Lawrence High.

“I was a bit nervous,” Beeley admitted afterward, “because I could hear the (LHS) fans telling me to miss it. But I tuned them out.”

An aggressive run by teammate Sabrea Platz for a loose ball in the box set up the decisive PK. Lawrence junior goalkeeper Katie Murrish charged after the ball, too, and when Platz ended up on the ground before Murrish could cover it, the Lions earned a foul on a bang-bang play.

Beeley soundly struck the ensuing penalty kick low, and into the back right corner of the net before her teammates mobbed her in celebration.

Less than four minutes later, she mistimed her play on an LHS goal kick as her Lions counterpart, freshman Mikayla Downs, tried to fend her off.

“I headed her head instead of the ball,” a laughing Beeley said of the play that ended her night prematurely and had her leaving the field immediately after the game concluded so she could get her banged-up noggin further inspected — the FSHS training staff made sure she didn’t have a concussion.

Free State coach Kelly Barah said Beeley, the team’s No. 1 kicker, didn’t hesitate to take the high-pressure shot.

“To be a freshman, score the winning goal against LHS and not be able to sit back and enjoy this, it’s a little bit sad,” Barah said. “But again, I have a team that will sacrifice body parts just like she did to make sure that we get a victory.”

Junior FSHS goalkeeper Mika Schrader, aided throughout by defensive-minded teammates such as Brooke Hayes and Maya Hodison, finished with seven saves in the shutout victory.

Schrader’s night turned hectic in the final five minutes as the desperate Lions (4-6) turned up their efforts looking to tie the game. In the 76th minute, Lawrence came up with three rapid-fire shots in succession, all taken within 10 yards of the goal. Coach Justin Young thought for sure one of them would turn into the equalizer.

“I think we got a little too excited and tried to play it too quickly,” Young said, “as opposed to getting set up and realizing we had a little bit of time and making sure the kick was where we needed it to be.”

Lions senior captain Keeli Billings liked that her team didn’t show any letdown.

“Honestly, I think that gave us more confidence that we can get down there,” she said, “we can put those shots on.”

Billings and sophomore Skylar Drum both saw shots denied by Schrader in the final 40 seconds.

“I’m proud of how far we’ve come from the past few years of losing by a lot more,” Billings added, “to really sticking with them.”

Free State (4-4) still hasn’t lost to LHS since 2009, but Schrader experienced the fight up close, and said this one sure didn’t come easily.

“When the other team played their hearts out, too, and your team was just able to pull through,” the goalie said, “it’s always a good feeling.”