East Ridge took the win a in a hard-fought, exciting District 8-AA soccer championship over Hixson Thursday night. The Lady Pioneers fought back twice from a deficit to win the match, 3-2 and move on to the regionals.
Hixson led 1-0 at the end of the first half when East Ridge’s Lucy Lopez tied it up early in the second half. Just minutes later the lady Wildcats slipped in front again. Once again a Lopez goal with 15 minutes left in the contest made it 2-2.
Then, with 10 minutes to go, as East Ridge coach Jeremy McIntyre described it, “Alejandra Argueta scored on a rocket shot from about 30 yards out.”
For the last 600 seconds of the match, the Lady Pioneers defense of Frida Jacobo, Mary Payne, Ashley Mendez, Olis Diaz and Kieralee Huff, along with goalkeeper Nia Barnes withstood an onslaught by the Hixson offense to secure the win.
Hixson's goals were scored by Paola Perez and Abbey Lin.
East Ridge next faces McMinn Co. on Tuesday at Camp Jordan.