By By JEFF FISHER / Niles Daily Star
EDWARDSBURG - The Lady Eddies played host to the Edwardsburg Invitational soccer tournament on Saturday, as a tune up for the district playoffs beginning at the end of the month.
The first game placed the Lady Eddies against Buchanan.
The Bucks scored in the third minute of the first half on an unassisted goal from Natalie Barclay. The Bucks stingy defense did not allow an Eddies' shot on goal until the 29 minute mark of the first half, while the Bucks tallied seven shots on goal.
Eddies' netkeeper Jenny Haines recorded seven first half saves, but the Eddies trailed at halftime 1-0.
Buchanan's Megan Hubbell opened the second half with an unassisted goal to give the Bucks a 2-0 lead.
The Lady Eddies began their comeback with Sarah Lange scoring on a penalty kick at the 54 minute mark to narrow the Buck's lead to 2-1.
Lange scored again four minutes later off an assist by Margaret Studer to tie the game up, and force it into overtime.
In the overtime both teams were matching each others penalty kicks that led to sudden death kicks.
The Lady Bucks were able to squeak two kicks passed Haines to win the game and to advance to the championship match.
The Bucks would play Bridgman the second game as the Lady Bees shutout Brandywine 1-0.
Ashley Stanage scored the only goal of the game at the 22:37 mark of the first half, on a crossing pass.
In the consolation game, the Lady Eddies dribbled out to an early lead on an unassisted goal by Sarah Lange, and a goal by Stephanie Selge, assisted by Jessica Stevenson.
That was all the scoring the Eddies needed, as they beat Brandywine 2-0 took take third place at the invitational.
The championship match placed Bridgman against Buchanan.
The Bucks opened with two good offensive strikes but came up empty. The Bucks pushed to the Bees' end of the field several times but couldn't mount any type of sustained attack.
Bridgman's Ariel Piotter scored the games' opening goal at the 16:11 mark, which proved to be the games winning goal. The Bucks had a last chance opportunity to tie the game up and possibly sent it to overtime when Danielle Bachleda's penalty kick was blocked by a diving Bees' goaltender. The Lady Bees won the invitational 1-0.