Izzy Sweet does it all in Bloomington South girls' semifinal battle with Center Grove

Izzy Sweet was ecstatic to score her first goal of the season on Friday night in the Bloomington South girls’ soccer sectional semifinals.

Making her first … and second and third and fourth … save of the season was a bit more unexpected for the Panthers’ sophomore defender.

But she did it all with aplomb to spark 11th-ranked South to a 3-1 victory over Center Grove and a berth in the Class 3A sectional championship game against Terre Haute North on Saturday night at 7.

“Oh, my goodness. It was crazy,” Sweet said, still laughing in disbelief after the match. “I had so much adrenaline going into the game, then just getting a goal and having to save goals too — crazy!”

Getting even by getting ahead

After a slow start, the Panthers took control in the middle 20 minutes of the opening half with Sweet cashing in on Zoe Kunzman’s corner kick. The ball fell to Sweet’s feet as bodies collided in front of goal, including Trojan goalkeeper Sophia Gorall. She smashed her shot into the open net for a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute.

“She really blasted that one,” South coach David Prall said. “If you’re going to get your first one, now’s a good time.”

Sweet agreed.

“I’ve really been wanting to get a goal off of a corner,” she said. “I shed some tears (of joy).”

It remained 1-0 at halftime, but the Panthers burst out of the gate, determined not to repeat last year’s season-ending sectional loss to Center Grove.

“Last year, whew, was really rough,” Sweet said. “It hurt, and we did not want that happening again.”

Another corner kick produced the Panthers’ second goal when a handball in the box was whistled.

Kat Lacy converted from the spot just four minutes into the second half, then South completed the corner kick hat trick on Val Bunde’s header flick in the 57th minute to go up 3-0.

“Playoff soccer is going to be set pieces,” Prall said. “And we haven’t been great at set pieces all year. I guess they were just waiting. That won the game.

“I thought we had those chances last year and just couldn’t get to them. This year we wanted it a little more, I think. We’re a little more mature team.”

'Backup' plan works

The Panthers certainly got a mature performance from Sweet, who was forced into unexpected duty in the 61st minute.

Starting goalkeeper Paloma Martinez Labathe was issued a yellow card for wasting time, giving the Trojans an indirect kick just inside the top of the box and forcing Labathe to sub out momentarily. Backup keeper Maddie Hickman was set to check in, but Prall had different plans. Plans whose seed was planted during a brief conversation a week ago.

“We talked a week ago, and I said, ‘Izzy, you’re the backup keeper just in case something happens,’” Prall recalled. “She was like, ‘Yeah, I’ve got it.’”

Still, Sweet wasn’t entirely sure if that would be the case on Friday night.

“I saw Maddie (Hickman), our backup keeper, getting ready to go in,” she said. “We had discussed it a little bit, just in case. I’ve played (keeper) a little bit before, but I’m always ready to go. Then I saw Maddie and thought, ‘Oh, I’m fine.’

“Then coach calls me over and I’m like, ‘This is happening.’ I couldn’t get the glove on, it was really stressful.”

Sweet ran from the mouth of the goal to the sideline to put the No. 0 goalkeeper jersey on over her normal No. 25, then began pulling on the goalkeeper gloves while trying not to hyperventilate.

“Calm down, calm down,” Prall kept reminding her. “The clock is stopped. Take your time.”

Sweet’s breathing slowed but not her heart rate as she readied for action.

The shot came in low and hard at the near post, but she stayed lower and punched the ball wide.

“I did not expect to save that free kick at all,” Sweet admitted. “I got out there and was like, ‘Get your center, watch the ball, every body part goes to it. Just go.’ That’s what I did. I just punched it and hoped for the best.”

Her best, and then some

As it turned out, that was only the beginning. The Panthers couldn’t regain possession, and the Trojans were desperately looking for a way back into the game. Sweet punched away another shot, then pushed a high, arching ball along the goal line. She capped things off by charging and cleanly fielding a long shot from the center of the pitch, exceeding the three saves Labathe made during the game’s other 74 minutes before the two went back to their previous roles.

“That was like back-to-back-to-back-to-back,” Sweet said. “There was no thinking, to be honest. I just went for it and hoped for the best.”

It turned out to be the best anyone could have hoped for.

“I was thinking, ‘Well, if we give up one here, we’re OK.’” Prall said. “Izzy did really well. Those were good saves. The one off the free kick was deflected, too, so that was a really good save.”

By the time the Trojans finally found the net with 6:40 remaining, it was far too little and too late to overcome South and its unexpected star, who was sugar and spice and everything nice.

Victory never tasted so Sweet.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Sweet does it all in Bloomington South girls' semi vs. Center Grove