HSE battled to final second, but falls to Noblesville. ‘This was the team of a lifetime’

FISHERS — It was a painfully familiar scene for Hamilton Southeastern with players’ reactions ranging from stunned silence to sobbing in the aftermath of another season-ending loss to rival Noblesville, this one by a score of 2-1 in the Class 3A Sectional 8 semifinals Thursday night.

The tears and hugs were preceded by a pulse-pounding finish between two of the state's best teams. An own goal gave the host Royals life with about three minutes remaining, then they had three chances to tie over the final two minutes with two set pieces followed by a corner kick with 13 seconds left. A Hail Mary into the box pinballed off a few bodies before being booted to safety by a player in black.

No. 3 Noblesville (12-1-3) advances to its fifth consecutive sectional championship game; No. 2 Hamilton Southeastern (13-2-3) is left lamenting what could have been.

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This was the team of a lifetime, HSE coach Greg Davidson told his rain-soaked players. "I told them Noblesville played an amazing game," he said afterwards. "They really played well and they had to in order to beat a team as amazing as ours."

There was reason to believe this would be the Royals' year.

While Noblesville lost six starters, including Miss Soccer Ava Bramblett, HSE returned most of its lineup, including seniors Hailey Wade (goalkeeper) and Ayla Conn (midfielder), plus sophomore Slone May who missed most of last season due to injury. They retooled their mental approach in preparation for the state tournament and even beat the Millers during the regular season, securing their first win in the series since Oct. 2014.

Maybe, just maybe this would be the year.

But it's still Noblesville, and the Millers team that took the field Thursday night was much improved from the outfit that absorbed just the program's 3rd loss since 2019 back in August.

Noblesville wasted no time activating its attack, carrying the ball deep into the HSE end off the opening whistle. The Royals briefly gained possession inside their own box, but their clearance attempt deflected off a Noblesville player to Meredith Tippner. The sophomore striker took a couple steps then buried the point-blank shot less than a minute into the game.

"The one thing coach (Mike Brady) said was pressure," Tippner said, "playing direct balls, getting up and making sure we're the attacking team, because last time, we were always defending and they were very successful coming at us. This was our chance to turn that (against them)."

"To give a really good team a goal is hard to battle back from and we certainly did," Davidson lamented. "We responded well. I thought we were playing well by the end of the first half."

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It wasn't until late in the first half that the game began living up to its heavyweight billing, and the action really turned up after halftime with Hamilton Southeastern taking its turn on the attack, launching a barrage of shots on goal as they desperately sought the equalizer.

It's a game of runs, Tippner observed, and after weathering the Royals' push, Noblesville made a run of its own.

Moments after failing to score off a loose ball in front of a wide-open net, the Millers fed a ball to Tippner in the corner. She went one-on-one with a defender, then deftly flicked a pass to freshman Delaney Stone, who converted for her first career goal in the 56th minute.

"We've worked on running plays off Tippner because she can't do it by herself," Noblesville coach Mike Brady said. "Delaney knew her role and was in the right place. We knew we needed a second goal. There was no way one goal was going to carry us through this game."

Noblesville caught a break in the opening minute; HSE caught one with 2:43 left when junior Abby Straus' free kick into the box bounced off someone's head and into the net for an own goal.

"We were playing smarter (in the second half), playing more to feet or into space where we were taking away those options from Noblesville," Davidson said. "I really liked how we played in that second half. Unfortunately, we gave up that second goal, but how awesome that our girls didn't give up and battled until the last second."

Their season on the line, the Royals began pressing, earning free kick opportunities from midfield (1:22 left) and in front of its own bench (about 1:10 left). Neither of those opportunities would go, and it looked like time would run out before they could get off a desperation corner kick attempt in the final 13 seconds.

But junior Jacqueline Lance hurried a kick into the box, where it bounced off a Noblesville player's head, off another cluster of players and to IU commit Atley Pittman, who sent it safely out of bounds.

Game over.

"I just see conspiracies. I think my team is against me," Brady joked. "They're just trying to make me feel older than I already am."

The Millers will face Fishers in Saturday's sectional championship game at 7 p.m.

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HSE, which has not won a sectional since 2012, graduates 11 seniors.

"It's a great senior class with their leadership, their heart and their dedication to this program. They're just some really neat kids," Davidson said. "My heart goes out for those seniors any time you lose in the tournament, but with what we had built all season, it makes it even harder that you don't get to see the seniors rewarded."

Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA soccer: Noblesville ousts Hamilton Southeastern in sectionals