ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — With time running out on the Blues’ season, the tension at Greenwood Field was palpable. But that did not seem to faze the players on the pitch as once again, they pulled victory from the jaws of defeat, winning the South Conference final and punching their ticket to the USL W League National semifinals.
Things got started in the 19th minute when Teagen Wahle found the visitors the opener against the run of play when she got her head on a free kick from the left side and deflected it into the net to put Lonestar SC up 1-0.
The Blues got their first major chance three minutes later when a ball popped over to Sarah Jacobs on the edge of the box in the right half-space. Jacobs sent a low-driven shot towards the bottom left corner, but Lonestar’s keeper Azul Alvarez was able to dive right and make the save.
In the 35th minute, Maya Leoni tried to rip a shot towards that same bottom left corner from outside of the box, but Alvarez once again was able to get there to keep it out of the net. Two minutes after, a corner found Gry Boe Thrysoe on the corner of the right side of the six-yard box but put her header right at the goalie.
In the final minute of stoppage time before the break, Helen Alormenu of Lonestar got in behind on transition and sent a shot at Tamsin Bynoe but Bynoe came up with two brilliant saves to keep Lonestar out of the net and the deficit at one.
Five minutes into the half, Lonestar nearly grabbed a second when they hit the crossbar twice and put a third shot on frame, but Gaby Rourke made the save.
It was all Asheville from that point on. In the 53rd minute, Caitlin Conroy drove down the right flank before swinging a cross towards Emma Sheehan at the near post where a Lonestar defender deflected it, and the ball dribbled just to the outside of the far post.
Eight minutes after Naroa Domenech darted into the center of the pitch and slipped Lu Flores in behind the defense who turned and sent a shot aimed towards the upper left corner but the attempt went just wide.
The Blues kept stacking the chances, but Lonestar held strong. After a flurry of chances, the Blues came close in the 88th minute when a corner from the left side found Thrysoe at the back post. She lifted a shot over a plethora of Lonestar defenders towards the upper 90 that struck the side netting as the clock kept ticking on the Blues’ season. Right after that, the fourth official flashed eight minutes of stoppage time, and presumably, the season.
A minute into stoppage time, Yuliia Khrystiuk received a throw-in on the right flank. Khrystiuk took advantage of the space given to her by the defender and swung a pinpoint cross to the head of Sheehan, who thumped it home to level the score in the dying embers of regulation to send the match to extra time.
The first half of extra time went by pretty quietly, but the Blues amped up the pressure in the second half of the deciding frame, generating multiple chances that just could not be put home for one reason or another. But that all changed in the 119th minute.
Conroy forced a turnover on the left side of the middle third before the Blues worked the ball over to Khrystiuk on the right flank. Khrystiuk again delivered a perfect ball this time to the head of Domenech, who put it home to put Asheville ahead 2-1 to earn Asheville City’s first USL W League Southern Conference title.
Naroa Domenech was awarded the Noble Player of the Match for her efforts on the night, which was capped off by the game-winning goal.
The Blues will be matched up with NC Courage U23 next weekend at Greenwood Field for the national semifinals. They advanced on penalties against Eagle FC on Sunday. The date and time are to be announced. Buy your tickets here.