Keeper helps Elkhorn girls repeat at champs

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BY BRENT C. WAGNER / Lincoln Journal Star

OMAHA — You’ll have to forgive Amber Peterson for not being prepared for this moment.

That would be the moment she helped Elkhorn win another state championship. It seems Peterson only became a high school keeper this season.

You wouldn’t have known it, though, as Peterson came up with two big saves in a shootout to give Elkhorn a 1-0 victory against top-ranked Omaha Skutt in the Class B girls state championship match Monday at Morrison Stadium. Elkhorn won the shootout 3-2.

Also on Monday, top-ranked Millard North beat No. 4 Omaha Westside 2-1 to win the Class A girls championship.

The second-ranked Antlers repeated as state champs, but Peterson wasn’t there for the first one. She hadn’t played soccer since middle school, and even then she was only a part-time keeper.

Peterson competed in track as a freshman and sophomore, and had a knee injury last season.

“I always wanted to try soccer again,” Peterson said, “and this was my last shot.”

In the third and fourth rounds of the shootout, Peterson made saves, including a diving one to her left in the fourth round. Omaha Skutt’s fifth shot of the shootout sailed above the goal, clinching the victory

A good softball and basketball player, Peterson’s athleticism gave her an edge in excelling quickly in soccer, Elkhorn coach Judy Breed said.

Elkhorn’s Molly Slattery, Elizabeth McNeil and Makenzie Gillaspie made penalty kicks on the Antlers’ first three attempts. Skutt missed its final three tries.

After being assessed a red card with 33 seconds remaining in overtime, Skutt’s Kelly Connolly couldn’t participate in the shootout. She was one of the SkyHawks’ leading scorers.

Omaha Skutt had beaten Elkhorn 2-1 in each teams’ season opener. That was Peterson’s first high school match, and she gave up the winning score late in the game.

“Beating Skutt makes this extra special,” Peterson said.

Millard North 2, Omaha Westside 1: The celebration subsided, and Millard North coach John Walsh took Molly Thomas aside.

“He made me cry,” Thomas said.

Thomas scored the game-winning goal with 17 minutes remaining in the match, finding the top corner of the net from about 15 yards away.

That was her second goal of the match, fifth of the tournament and 35th of the season.

“We got a special play out of a special player,” Walsh said.

Omaha Westside had all the best scoring chances in the final six minutes of the match to keep things exciting to the finish, but came up inches short several times.

After missing out on a state title last season despite having a talented team, Thomas’ second state title felt even better.

“It was perfect,” she said. “I wouldn’t want it to end any other way.”

Reach Brent C. Wagner at 473-7435 or bwagner@journalstar.com.