Enterprise girls edge Auburn 3-2

Garth’s goal with 24:05 to play in the game was the first lead for Enterprise during the night in the first-round Class 7A girls soccer battle at Bates Memorial Stadium.

The Wildcats’ defense then made the advantage stand in shutting out the Tigers in the second half.

On the final play of the opening half, Auburn’s Hannah Arnall got off a shot in front of the goal and pushed it past the Enterprise goalkeeper as the buzzer was sounding to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead and seemingly all of the momentum.

The play came as a result of a corner kick with the clock running down. The ball initially bounced off an Auburn player in front of the goal and Arnall was alertly there for the rebound and to put the ball into the net.

It didn’t take long for things to change once play resumed for the final 40 minutes.

Just more than three minutes into the second half, Enterprise knotted the score when Summer Burress scored on a free kick from 25 yards out which sailed past Auburn goalkeeper Aubrey Sarkowski into the top of the net.

The first half had been fairly evenly played on both ends of the field.

The Tigers had opened the scoring in the first 10 minutes of the game when Ellie Hammer took a pass, made a nifty move to get in front for a clear shot past goalkeeper Lizzy Joreski.

Enterprise would tie it at 1-1 with 6:04 to go before halftime when Garth received a pass from Evelyn Holmes-Smith down the middle and was able to get a shot past Sarkowski, who came out of goal to challenge.

It certainly appeared the two teams would go into the break tied before Arnall’s goal at the buzzer.