By PAUL GOTHAM
HENRIETTA, N.Y. — Charlotte Engin converted a penalty kick in the second overtime to lift Pittsford Mendon to the 2024 Section V Class A championship, Saturday on Werner Kleeman Field at Rush-Henrietta High School.
Engin finished inside the left post with 9:28 left in the extra-time session.
“Our coach makes us practice it over and over again during the season,” the senior midfielder said. “It felt like muscle memory.”
It’s one thing to connect during practice, but with a sectional title on the line against your cross-town rival?
“Don’t worry that was in my mind a little bit,” she said laughing. “That little nagging thought. I was just oh, my gosh. But when you’re taking a PK, you have to be confident. You can’t have any negative energy going.”
And she knew it was the game winner when it left her foot.
“You can feel it, and I just felt it. I was like, there we go. Finally, practice has paid off.”
The goal was Engin’s team-leading 13th of the season.
“She’s our set-piece specialist,” said Mendon head coach Eric Pritchard. “I don’t know how many goals she’s scored this year off set pieces. She’s just very good in those situations. She’s calm, collected and hits it where she wants to.”
Fittingly, Lillian Larimer drew the penalty that resulted in the winning PK. It was Larimer who had a chance to score on a break at the end of regulation. Then she had another opportunity off a header in the first extra-session.
“She’s had a wonderful season for us,” Pritchard said of the junior forward. “She’s been getting stronger and stronger as the season goes. Her confidence has been growing. She’s been playing very well for us for the last few weeks. She’s done a great job overall attacking, creating chances, crosses, shots, everything.”
Engin sent a through ball that Larimer ran on to along the left side. Before she had a chance to shoot, she was taken down within 10 yards of the goal.
“We had a lot of chances, but their defense was really good,” Larimer said. “We missed a couple shots, but we were playing really hard. We wanted to keep getting shots.”
The teams split the regular season series with both squads taking 1-nil decisions.
Familiarity created a tight match on Saturday. Mendon held a 5-2 advantage in shots on goal. The two teams combined on four corner kicks and two additional set pieces within 30 yards of goal.
“I didn’t know what it was going to take,” Pritchard said. “We put a lot of pressure on them and not a lot was happening.
“I just knew if we kept putting things in dangerous areas in the box, that we’d create our own opportunities. That’s exactly what happened in the end.”
The championship is the 12th in program history and fourth under Pritchard.
“I was just glad that they kept their focus. They didn’t get frustrated in not getting those chances.”
Mendon advances to the state quarterfinals to face the Section VI champion, Lewiston-Porter.
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