Boyd Buchanan senior Jenna Randolph took off with the Division II-A East Region championship plaque to the roar of Lady Buccaneers soccer fans after Thursday's hard-fought 2-1 win at previously unbeaten Silverdale Baptist Academy.
In the 58th minute, it was Randolph's high kick to the front of the net that bounced away from the keeper and to the feet of sophomore Kate Wood, who sent the ball into the net for the go-ahead goal.
Boyd Buchanan senior keeper Julie Crawford secured a corner kick in the closing moments to seal the road win against a team that had beaten the Lady Bucs 3-1 just weeks before for the District 2 title.
"These girls have been faced with adversity all season long," Boyd Buchanan coach Todd Ledbetter said. "This was a moment where they were mentally tough and able to grind out a really special victory. I am so proud of their determination, passion and for not giving up. The girls imposed our game plan in the first 20 minutes, and Silverdale gave us a great fight in the second half."
The Lady Bucs (10-5-4) struck first in the 19th minute as senior defender Siena Jones fired a missile from more than 20 yards out that struck a defender but still sizzled into the net.
Silverdale (15-1-1) tied the region title match just more than two minutes into the second half as a handball in the box set up a perfect penalty kick by Addie Chapman. The Lady Seahawks fell short despite an 11-10 advantage on shots.
Mia Cutler, Lily Daniel, Kate Dickert, Elizabeth Post and Elle Vinson all stood out defensively for the Lady Bucs.
"We are definitely hitting our peak right now," Jones said. "To win this region title means a lot. We have made it to four consecutive state quarterfinals, and now with the No. 1 seed in the East Region, hopefully we can make history and make it all the way to the championship match at the Red Wolves' stadium."
Both region finalists earned byes into into the state quarterfinals and will host matches on Oct. 22. The DII-A semifinals are Oct. 27 at Baylor, and all five TSSAA girls' soccer state finals will be held Oct. 26-29 at CHI Memorial Stadium in East Ridge, the home of USL League One's Chattanooga Red Wolves.
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @PMacCoon.