Inferno 12g wins first Championship at Cactus Kick Off
September 18, 2023

We have been here before. Things were feeling eerily familiar when the final whistle blew ending a 0-0 tie vs Phoenix Rush in the Championship game on a hot Sunday afternoon at Reach 11 sports
complex.
Six months ago in the Inferno Cup Championship game, it was a 4-4 tie only to be awarded the Runner-up medal based on a point system that the Inferno girls were on the wrong side of by one goal
differential.
We have been here before. Back in May in Flagstaff at the Kick in the Pines Tournament, another Championship game and another tie. 1-1. This one went to penalty kicks and Inferno fell 5-4 to claim
another Runner-up Medal.
With the addition of several new players and a new coach, this can’t be happening again. But it was.
Another tie to determine the Cactus Kick Off Champion. After a hard fought game with every player having given everything they had, this game would come down to penalty kicks once again.

WE HAVE BEEN HERE BEFORE

Inferno opened up the Tournament with a Friday night game vs the RSL North team and a 5-0 victory.
Addie and Emma both had two goals and Olivia added a blistering shot from beyond the 18 to cap the scoring. The defense was on point as well giving Paylie plenty of protection in goal and time to catch up on her reading.

Game 2 on Saturday afternoon saw Inferno dismantling the RSL South team with an 11-0 victory.
Four different goalkeepers saw action with Caitlyn being the only one who even caught a whiff of the ball and eight different goal scorers contributed to the lopsided win. Emma had 3 goals while Olivia knocked in two and Addie got one as well. Izzy scored her first goal of the season off an assist from Giada while Elle, Paylie, and Anastasia all took turns putting the ball in the net. Lainey tallied her first goal of the season on a penalty shot foreshadowing what was to come on Sunday afternoon.

Game 3 bright and early Sunday morning had Inferno hosting Phoenix Rush in what was a preview of the Championship game to be played later that same day. Rush jumped out to a lead on a goal off of a direct free kick that found its way just under the cross bar less than a minute before halftime. Inferno has always been a second half team and this game proved no different. In the 32nd minute, Addie fed a pass through the center which Emma knocked in just beating the goalkeeper to the ball and a 1-1 tie. 11 minutes later, Emma returned the favor as she hit Addie in the middle who made the turn and scored the game winning goal with a left footed shot that the keeper had no chance to get to. When the whistle blew, Inferno had punched their ticket into the tournament championship.

There is a saying that goes “Defense wins championships.” That proved to be the case in game 4 of the Cactus Kick Off Tournament. The defense of Olivia and Evelyn in the middle with Maddie and Irelynn on the outsides formed a wall that the Rush could barely penetrate, and when they did, Paylie was there to clean everything up in goal. The Rush were just as stingy on defense and as fatigue set in during the final minutes on a hot Sunday afternoon, it was clear this game was heading to penalty kicks to decide the championship.

WE HAVE BEEN HERE BEFORE

Olivia stepped up first to take her shot and calmly knocked it in off the left post for the first goal of the shootout.

The Rush were equal to the task and evened everything up at a goal apiece.

Next up was Lainey and she buried her shot in the left hand corner giving Inferno a 2-1 lead.

As the Rush shooter was lining up to try and tie it again, Paylie stared in at her. Which way was it going to go? The shot came toward the goal and with a quick step to her left, Paylie made the save that had everybody on their feet. The excitement was building.

Emma would shoot next and promptly hit the top left corner giving Inferno a 3-1 lead.

The Rush weren’t done however and put in a great shot that brought them back to within one.

Addie was the next shooter. Everyone else had shot left. She stepped up and nailed a perfect shot in the upper right corner just under the crossbar. It was 4-2.

The Rush had to make their next attempt and did with a great shot that just barely got past the keeper. It all came down to the fifth shooter. One shot for the championship and for glory. Izzy stepped up to the ball and waited for the whistle. The goalkeeper bounced up and down, left and right. This was it. A deep breath. The crowd was quiet waiting to see what would happen. Two steps and the shot came off her right foot. As the ball traveled toward the goal, the keeper dove but couldn’t get to it as the ball hit the
back of the net for the 5-3 win and the beginning of the celebration that will long be remembered.

Inferno has the next weekend off but will play in the Arizona Cup tournament the weekend after that where they will try to win another championship.

We have been here before. Are you ready?