Miles’ stoppage-time goal gives Rogers 1-0 win over Curtis

When Morgan Miles stepped up for Rogers’ final free-kick attempt in the game as time winded to down to a close, she just wanted to be accurate.

With no time to spare, Miles rifled a 20-yard free-kick into the left corner to the goal, giving Rogers a late 1-0 victory over Curtis on Tuesday night at home. The win moved the Rams into fifth place in the 4A SPSL with a record of 6-6-1 on the season.

“I just trying to make sure I was accurate and on goal,” said Miles, who put away Rogers’ third win in stoppage time this season. “I saw they moved everyone over to the right, and I tried to put it where their (goalie) couldn’t get to it.”

Seconds prior, Haleigh Thompson was working a breakaway before being tripped up 20 yards away from the Curtis goal, paving the way for Miles’ kick.

It was the second near-breakaway that Thompson made late in the game, with her first coming minutes before (71st minute), where she was able to work in behind Curtis’ defensive line. After a pass connected with Thompson deep down the pitch, the senior forward pulled free from a defender’s grip to move into a one-on-one chance with Curtis goalie Elise Arkills.

“I know that the keeper was coming out all game, and I tried to place it in the corner. She got just enough with her foot to push the ball away,” Thompson said.

Thompson tried to angle her shot in left corner of the goal, but Arkills got just enough of her right foot on the ball to push the shot inches away from the goal in the 74th minute.

“My defense worked so hard tonight, and I’m proud of my entire team tonight as we really earned this win,” Rogers senior goalie Taryn McCullough said.

It was a big game between the posts for McCullough, who came away with eight saves in the shutout, two coming against Curtis sophomore Isabella Weaver.

The first came in the 7th minute when Weaver found a crease down the sideline to work a breakaway chance on goal. As she closed in, Weaver tried to go for the far post, but McCullough had just enough angle on the shot to smother the attempt.

“On those, you have to be aware and pay attention of where the ball’s going,” McCullough said.

Weaver worked another chance in the second half in the 59th minute and hammered a shot off the top of the goal, only to watch it bounce down and away from the net. With a loose ball traveling away from her and toward Curtis midfielder Caiti Yazzolino, McCullough made a last-second dive over Yazzolino to make the save.

“My height really helped me on that one,” McCullough said. “I was able to go and dive right over her.”

Rogers (15) outshot Curtis (10) in the win.

“(McCullough) was tough tonight. And coming off the game she had against (Emerald Ridge) last Thursday, it was a good demonstration of her toughness,” Rogers coach JR Farias added.

Rogers has three games left, with a game at South Kitsap (4-6-3) on Thursday (Oct. 20), before closing out the season next week against second-place Sumner (8-4-1, Oct. 25) and Graham-Kapowsin (0-13, Oct. 27).

“This league has been super difficult. Me and the other coaches talked about it and knew it was going to be difficult,” Farias said. “But to realize it, to be in it — it’s tough.”

This story was originally published October 20, 2016 at 3:22 PM with the headline "Miles’ stoppage-time goal gives Rogers 1-0 win over Curtis."