Bounces work against South girls.

Byline: Shawn Miller The Register-Guard

PREP SOCCER

The first opportunity to clinch at least a share the Southwest Conference girls soccer title slipped away from South Eugene on Tuesday.

Baylee Hearns and Caitlin Engle scored for North Medford, and the Axemen suffered their first league loss of the season, a 2-0 setback at South Eugene.

Hearns scored in the 30th minute to provide the Black Tornado (5-2) with a 1-0 lead at halftime, despite being outshot 11-3 by the Axemen (6-1).

Engle scored on a penalty kick in the 49th minute to seal the victory for the Black Tornado, who lost to the Axemen in a shootout in the first meeting of the season in Medford.

South Eugene had plenty of chances, nearly scoring twice in the first two minutes and using seven shots in the first 20 minutes to dominate offensively. However, shots were high, wide or saved by North Medford goalkeeper Kendra McMillen in what South Eugene coach Brad Stratton called a "game of inches."

A shot by Celia Beauchamp deflected off both posts before McMillen was able to corral it late in the first half.

"We did everything right to score, we just didn't," Stratton said. "I've never seen a ball hit the inside of a round post, roll across the line, hit the other post and then come out instead of go in. Part of it is luck."

Beauchamp knew it was close.

"It's just a matter of centimeters," said Beauchamp, whose five shots were a team high. "It's really frustrating having a ball just hit off the post. We just needed to follow it up and we didn't."

Trailing 2-0 midway through the second half, South had a goal erased when Nina DeHaas was ruled offside before she headed the ball in. South Eugene attempted three times as many shots as North Medford in the second half and was inches from cutting the lead in half in the final minutes.

With 4 minutes remaining, South Eugene's Malina Wiebe drilled a shot from 20 yards that continued to rise as it crossed over the top of the goalpost, a fateful end to a frustrating night for the Axemen.

"I really wanted to score, but it was just unlucky," Wiebe said. "Technically we are a better team ... but they just wanted it more. They played with more heart and more passion than us."

In another SWC girls game

Roseburg 3, Sheldon 2: The host Indians outscored the Irish 3-1 in a shootout to get the victory.

After a scoreless first half, Julie Piper opened the scoring with a goal in the 48th minute for Roseburg, but Rachel Horgan tied the score in the 67th minute for Sheldon.

Sarah Phillips then scored in the fourth minute of overtime to put the Irish ahead 2-1, but Kate Wilton scored for the Indians in the eighth extra minute to send the match to a shootout.

Midwestern League girls

Thurston 1, Willamette 1: Courtney Morgan scored in the 50th minute to give the visiting Wolverines the tie with the first-place Colts.

Kayla Stewart scored for the Colts in the 30th minute to give them a 1-0 halftime lead.

Springfield 2, Churchill 1: Taryn Urmson deflected a shot by teammate Gaby Morey-Castro into the goal at 1:50 of overtime to give the host Millers the victory.

Springfield's McKenzie Mann scored in the seventh minute off an assist from Michelle Stone to give the Millers a 1-0 lead. Olivia Johnston scored in the 18th minute for the Lancers.

North Eugene 12, Marshfield 0: Kendra Castanette and Stephanie Overholt both scored hat tricks to lead the visiting Highlanders.

Overholt also shared in the shutout for North Eugene. All three of Castanette's goals came on free kicks.

Southwest Conference boys

South Eugene 2, North Medford 0: Joe Claycomb scored in the 25th minute and teammate Connor Jones scored two minutes later to give the visiting Axemen the victory.

Brian Rowe picked up his seventh shutout in league and ninth for the season in goal for South Eugene (11-0, 7-0 SWC).

Roseburg 9, Sheldon 1: Luke Matthews scored a hat trick and Steven Strickland had two goals to lead the visiting Indians.

Arturo Ramirez, Taylor Martin, Lorenzo Vasquez and Aaron Funderburk all scored for Roseburg, which outshot the Irish 12-1.

Sky-Em League boys

Sisters 7, Marist 1: Ande Phillips and Riley Newport scored two goals apiece as the host Outlaws moved into a three-team tie for first place with the Spartans and Elmira.

Jordan Wellman, Eli Callan and Oscar Wiegand also scored for Sisters, which had four goals in a 14-minute stretch of the second half.

Nick Daniel headed in a free kick in the 37th minute for the Spartans.

Elmira 5, Junction City 0: Jeremiah Cutshall scored a hat trick and assisted on another goal as the host Falcons moved into a tie for first.

Patrick Richter and Kelly Ota also scored for Elmira, and Max Beebe got the shutout with seven saves.

Cottage Grove 1, Pleasant Hill 0: Garrett Rhodes scored off an assist from Antwone Mootz in the 60th minute to give the visiting Lions the victory.

Senior C.J. Henderson got the shutout in goal in his first varsity start.