Nicholson comes up clutch in Eagles’ 2-1 over Wildcats

by Michael Smith
 
The Grain Valley girls soccer team needed someone to step up.

The Eagles were down 1-0 to Blue Springs in a non-conference matchup Tuesday at Vesper Field in Blue Springs and struggled to get clean looks throughout.

With about 34 seconds left in regulation, Wildcat goalkeeper Mary Cates had to come out of the game after getting a minor injury following a collision with a Grain Valley player. That forced Wildcats head coach Aleana Balistreri to insert backup goalkeeper Harper Lisk. With little time left, the Eagles desperately needed a goal. Junior Taylor Nicholson was up to the task.

Grain Valley junior Radleigh Childers had a throw in toward the Wildcats 18-yard box. After the ball bounced around between players, Nicholson ripped a shot with her left foot from 25 yards out inside the right post and just out of the reach of Lisk to tie it up with just 5 seconds left in regulation.

After two scoreless overtime periods, Nicholson made the winning penalty kick in a shootout to give her Eagles a 2-1 victory.

As a defender, Nicholson hasn’t had a lot of opportunities to score in the past. She came through when it mattered most and accomplished an uncommon feat of scoring with 5 seconds left.

She admitted that she didn’t know there was 5 seconds left when she took the shot.

“That was 100 percent, the only thing I had left,” Nicholson said of the tying shot. “I thought that might be the last shot we were going to get, so I just took it. I have never taken a shot with my left foot before.”

Grain Valley head coach Brett Lewis said he felt the momentum shift after the improbable goal.

“That was definitely insane,” Lewis said. “That was one of those once-in-a-lifetime type of shots,” Lewis said. “She struck it so well. She shoots all the time and every once in a while, she will get one over the goalie’s head. I think she was riding on pure adrenaline.”

In the shootout, Grain Valley had its first penalty kick from sophomore Josie Larry, which saved by Cates. Childers, senior Ally Gilbert, junior Mia Cole and junior goalkeeper Alayna Maybell all made their attempts before Nicholson made the winning PK.

“I set the ball down and looked left,” Nicholson said. “(Cates) dove right every time, so I figured, ‘You know what? If I position myself like I am going to go left, she will go left, so I hit it to the opposite side and kick it as hard as I could.”

Blue Springs senior Kara Karst, sophomore Adelyn Karst, senior Ana Poli, senior Samantha Davis all made their attempts. Sophomore Adley Short hit her shot over the goal and Maybell made a diving stop on an attempt from sophomore Tori Straub to set up Nicholson’s game winner.

Maybell said she has been splitting time with Sarah Hays as Grain Valley’s goalkeeper, while also playing in the midfield when Hays is in goal. She said her back line has made it easier on her switching back and forth between goalkeeper and midfielder.

“It’s exciting but I have to make adjustments going from the midfield to goalkeeper and back to the midfield,” Maybell said. “Everyone, including Izzy (Isabel Lopez) and Taylor worked really well together and off of each other.”

The Wildcats (2-9) controlled possession for most of the match but were only able to get one shot to go in regulation. In the 55th minute senior midfielder Hazel Trotman sent a cross in front of the Grain Valley goal line and junior Mia Goodwin made the tap in to put Blue Springs up 1-0.

Throughout, Blue Springs limited opportunities for Childers, who is an elite-level scorer and an all-state, honorable mention selection in 2024. The Wildcats were physical with everyone on the Eagles, but were especially physical with Childers. The Wildcat defense made it tough for her to get a clean shot in the final third. Blue Springs also had at least three or four players in front of the Eagles junior when she took a shot attempt.

“We have to make an adjustment,” Lewis said. “Against Platte County, Fort Osage and Blue Springs, we came out a little flat when those teams were physical with us. We might need to make our practices more physical and intense to mimic that environment.”
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Grain Valley junior goalkeeper Alayna Maybell, left, can't up with a key save in the shootout, and Taylor Nicholson made a big shot with 5 seconds left in regulation and made the winning penalty much to help Grain Valley defeat Blue Springs 2-1 Tuesday at Vesper Field in Blue Springs. Photo credit: Michael Smith