Madison vs. Chardon girls soccer: Abby Forster's extra-time strike sends Blue Streaks on, 2-1, in well-played match

Oct. 19—Fortunately for extra time during a Division I sectional final between Madison and visiting Chardon on Oct. 19, a break came between two waves of a storm front that brought light but persistent rain through much of regulation.

Both sides welcomed that clearance.

The Blue Streaks also welcomed the additional and ultimate clearance Abby Forster provided, staving off a gutsy Hilltoppers' effort in the process.

Forster's strike 1 minute, 37 seconds into double overtime gave Madison a 2-1 victory over Chardon in a well-played match.

⚽️ Madison junior GK Taylor MacAdam discusses her side's 2-1 D1 sectional final extra-time win over Chardon

IMO, a breakout 8-save performance, 3 of which were top drawer — the 1 on Teagan Sprague in the 32nd is a tough judgment call she handled well vs. a skilled striker pic.twitter.com/d5BI8hIgWa

— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) October 20, 2023

The Blue Streaks (11-5-2) will head to powerhouse Walsh Jesuit, an 8-0 winner over South, for a D-I Northeast 1 District semifinal at 6 p.m. Oct. 23.

Madison generated just four shots on target, but two were respective moments of brilliance to send Coach Chad Butler's side through.

"Defensively, I thought we were extremely disciplined," Butler said. "I think they've come a long way to get through it and play confident and smart. They switch with each other. They close down a lot of things.

"Chardon did a great job getting numbers behind the ball. They went a much more defensive shape than they typically go, which gave us a little bit of a headache to begin with."

That headache was alleviated around 8 p.m.

Amid a scramble in the box 97 seconds into double OT, Forster got a touch on the left side around the edge of the six. The senior striker, who had two goals for all of 2023, slotted a cool finish wide for the final margin.

Her eighth career high school goal, in her final match on her home pitch, will likely prove her most memorable with room to spare.

"All I saw was the ball come in," Forster said. "It hit off Reese (Meister), I saw it on my foot and then I took it. The goalie's gloves just nicked it. It's just muscle memory.

"It's really meaningful. We fought until the end."

Generally, this was a well-defended match both ways, a scoreless stalemate past the hour mark.

Kennedy Ross opened the Blue Streaks' account in the 64th minute. The sophomore had a slick switch touch deeper into the box and did well with a poke finish to make it 1-0.

The Hilltoppers (11-7) weren't going quietly, though.

In the 75th, Chardon standout senior striker Teagan Sprague persisted for a touch to her right foot at the top of the box and put away a strike, her 20th goal of the fall, to level the match, 1-1.

⚽️ Chardon equalizer through Teagan Sprague 75th min

1-1 match pic.twitter.com/gUkixapBoX

— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) October 19, 2023

One key component in the result was a fine eight-save evening from Madison goalkeeper Taylor MacAdam. The junior kept the scoreless deadlock intact with a highlight stop on Sprague in the 32nd, coming off her line on a wise judgment call, then a quality turnaway on Sprague in the 59th.

MacAdam also corraled a Skyler Duval-Lewis effort from distance in the waning seconds that could have proved more tricky than usual amid wet conditions.

"Taylor missed all of last season, and she came into this season, I feel like, with her confidence just not knowing if she could do it," Butler said. "Because it had been so long. But we always knew she was a phenomenal keeper, and she's smart. She's very conscientious about making sure she's not making mistakes.

"I'm really proud of seeing her get past that and believe in herself again."

Then before the heavens opened once more, Forster sent her side for cover victorious.

Chardon coach Chad Johnston praised his side's effort through nearly 100 minutes, digging down for a late equalizer and nearly emerging with the result. The Hilltoppers, with Sprague and Duval-Lewis helping to lead the charge, had a five-win improvement over last fall and have had tangible progress overall as a side.

"I couldn't be more proud of them for fighting to the end," Johnston said. "Being down and tying it with five minutes left. Teagan has scored big goals for us all year, a senior captain. It sucks. It would've been nice to be on the other side of it, but it was a good game. It could have went either way, and at the end, it just didn't go our way.

"(Our seniors) have done a great job for four years, just getting better every year. We have a few seniors that play a lot, but we have a young group. We play a lot of freshmen and sophomores. Kayla Schneider will be back, one of our other captains. She'll be a senior next year. We'll take some time off, come back next year and try to keep getting better."

⚽️ My postmatch analysis of Madison's 2-1 win over Chardon in a D1 sectional final

Let me correct 2 things (cheating on notes = copout ): Ross/Forster had 6 goals combined coming in, & MacAdam had 8 saves

Well-played match by both sides

(Match story will be shared shortly) pic.twitter.com/yqhQ3xUdjV

— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) October 20, 2023