By Eric Lusk
Sports Editor
elusk@elkintribune.com

RALEIGH — The 2A state runner-up trophy for girls soccer sat idly in the grass, its new recipients from Forbush each turned to face in another direction while the post-game ceremonies concluded.

In time, the Falcons will come to treasure this hard-earned prize, the fruit of one of the most outstanding soccer seasons in North Carolina for 2009.

But, in the early moments following Saturday’s 2A title game at NC State’s Paul Derr Stadium, the thought of looking at a trophy that reflected back that the Falcons had come up just short of state championship dreams yet again proved a tough pill to swallow.

Forbush battled hard for more than 100 minutes in the hot, late afternoon sun before falling 2-1 to Swansboro in sudden death overtime. Midfielder Lindsay Redfearn booted the game-winner for the Pirates with just 27.4 seconds remaining in what amounted to the third extra period (105th minute) of the match.

It was the second straight year that the Falcons had lost by one goal in the state championship game.

“It’s very disappointing,” Forbush coach Kenan James said in his post-game interview. “We worked really hard. We had some close games in the playoffs and came up big. We fully expected to do the same thing here.

“We had our opportunities. We just didn’t put them away.”

The Falcons had led most of the first half, getting a goal from sophomore Katelynd Caudle just six minutes into play.

Forbush had earned two straight corner kicks, and on the second attempt, sophomore Jessica Baity lobbed a ball into the middle of the penalty box. Leticia Patino went up high for a header amid a sea of blue Swansboro jerseys. The ball went right to Caudle, who punched it in, working the sea of Forbush fans on the West side of the stadium into an early frenzy.

“We just try to put people in the right places on corners, and Katelynd was in the right place and put it in,” James said. “That was a good goal for us. And we had an opportunity right after that I think we should have put in also.”

But Forbush wasn’t able to capitalize to go up 2-0. And the Falcons weren’t able to keep Swansboro out of the net for the entire first half either.

The Pirates counterattacked with time ticking down and earned the equalizer from junior Joy Oswalt with only 7.1 seconds to go before the break — a giant momentum shifter and a momentary breakdown that ultimately came back to haunt the Falcons.

“Forbush came out and was all over us,” said Swansboro coach Doug Kidd, who took over the program this season after moving from Watauga. “It was a little bit of a slow start on our part but that was due to them. As the half went on, we got stronger and that goal with like 10 seconds left was huge.

“I thought that really took a lot of wind out of their sails.”

The second 40-minute half proved a stalemate between the fundamentally sound teams, each having chances to score only to be turned away by stingy defenses. The two sides then played through scoreless deadlocks in a pair of non-sudden death, 10-minute overtime periods.

James said his group looked pretty zapped in the first 10-minute extra period, maybe because of the 85-degree, no-clouds-in-the-sky weather. But Forbush players started regaining their edge as play reached the second overtime.

But neither team could score, again with each dodging bullets fired by the other.

The continuing 1-1 deadlock took the game to the final step before a penalty kick shootout — a pair of five-minute, sudden death periods, where any goal ends the game and nets the state championship trophy as a reward.

Forbush controlled possession for much of the first five-minute OT session, keeping Swansboro locked into its half but unable to get a good look at the goal.

Then the Pirates broke out and ultimately broke the Falcons’ hearts. Game MVP Alana Soetaert slipped a ball across the field between the Forbush defense. Redfearn scooped it up on the fly and fired a shot back across the goal into the right corner pocket of the net for the score.

Just like that, game over.

Forbush players could only sit or stand in disbelief while Swansboro players and coaches mobbed the game’s heroes right in front of the Forbush net.

“We had been getting in behind their defense as the game went on, and we said, ‘Let’s keep doing it, let’s get direct and play the balls through,’” Kidd said. “Lindsay got a great through-ball and showed the composure we needed and found a placement to win the game.”

This was Swansboro’s second state title in girls soccer in the past four years. The Pirates, who also beat top-ranked and previously unbeaten Cardinal Gibbons on the way to the 2A final, finished with a 23-1-3 overall record. They were undefeated (wins and ties) over their last 23 games.

Forbush concluded its season at 21-4-1. The Falcons lost in last year’s state title game on the same field at NC State to First Flight High from Kill Devil Hills.

Swansboro outshot Forbush 20-7, according to the official game stats. The Falcons did not have a direct shot on goal in the extra time.

“Soccer is cruel sometimes,” James said. “That’s what coach Kidd said. I give them credit. They played a good game, and they are a good team.”

Had Forbush won, keeper Kayla Adams may have garnered MVP status. She made seven saves, including one where she took a direct hit after a hard-hit shot by Swansboro. The ball deflected out of bounds, and Forbush was able to clear the ball after a corner kick.

James also praised freshman Jessica Tucker, who helped shut down Swansboro all-state performer Carrie Dail, who had just one shot on goal and no assists.

If there is a silver lining to this defeat, it’s that Forbush will graduate only two seniors, Vanessa Mendoza and Heather Lindsay. Neither of those players were regular starters, according to James. The stage could be set for the third time being a charm for Forbush in 2010.

The motivation certainly will be there to claim the trophy with the golden embellishments rather than the one in silver the Falcons have received the past two years.

“It definitely wasn’t our ideal result (Saturday), but I’m really proud,” said Baity, who would collect all-state honors the following day in Chapel Hill. “We worked hard all season. We worked hard for each other. I’ve got to give Jesus credit. He helped us all season. He kept us healthy. This year, we had everybody healthy going into the state playoffs.

“There is not much more we can ask for. Hopefully we’ll be back.”