It's not too often a goalkeeper has the opportunity to score for her team. Westhill's Jen Osher not only scored against Darien in the FCIAC semifinals Monday, she netted the game-winner in a wild shootout. Osher also made 10 saves in regulation and a huge save in the shootout as the Vikings' girls soccer team beat Darien 1-1 (6-5 in penalty kicks) for their first ever appearance in the FCIAC finals.
The game was a nail-biter from start to finish. Darien was one goal away from claiming victory in the shootout, but Osher made a huge stop against Marieke Bravo. Westhill trailed 2-0 in the shootout, but came back to tie it at 2-2. Darien again took the lead, 5-4, but Bravo was stopped. The Vikings' Lizzie Van Name tied the shootout at 5, setting up Osher's heroics.
The Vikings were lucky to get to the shootout. Darien came storming out of the gate. The Blue Wave's Georgie Highton scored in the 20th minute to put Darien up 1-0. That was after a shot by Highton glanced off the crossbar in the 7th minute and after a brilliant save by Osher in the 10th. Eleven minutes into the second half, Julia Busto's foot somehow found the ball in a huge scrum and got the equalizer.
The final five minutes of regulation kept everyone on edge, with players on both sides getting near misses. Westhill's Kristen Eriksen rocketed a shot off the crossbar in the 85th minute, and Darien's Dillon Schoen also came up with metal three minutes later.
Westhill, the defending Class LL state champions, will take on second-seeded Greenwich tonight in its first-ever FCIAC finals appearance.
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