Trailing archrival Baylor by a goal at halftime Saturday afternoon, GPS had to change its approach for the final 40 minutes.
Playing on their home field with the Division II-AA East Region soccer championship at stake, the Bruisers stepped up to the challenge.
The connection between GPS senior stars Kennedy Ball and Sasha Carbone was on display in the second half, when each had a goal and an assist to one another in a 3-2 comeback win that secured the program’s third region title in four years.
“We knew we weren’t probably going to score by just building it up and being on top of the 18-yard box and hitting a shot on Baylor’s keeper, who is very solid,” GPS coach Patrick Winecoff said. “We knew we had to get in behind them on transition. We have to be able to go, and our girls were ready to run.”
The comeback for GPS (11-2-1) started in the 47th minute, when Ball sped past the right side of the defense to send in an equalizer off Carbone’s lead pass from midfield. The final 15 minutes of the title bout featured seven combined shots, with the biggest coming in the 73rd.