WICHITA — The Red Devils have Georgia on their mind.
The Allen Community College women on Sunday did what they’ve pretty much done all season long, dominate play and win.
And now they’re going to nationals.
Allen’s 3-0 win over Pratt Community College gives ACC the Region VI championship, and a trip to the upcoming NJCAA-Division II National Tournament.
This year marks the school’s first ever national tournament bid in soccer.
The Red Devil men, who were stunned with a pair of late goals in a 2-1 loss Saturday to Southeastern (Iowa), will learn later this week whether they’ll receive an at-large bid for their national tournament.
“I’m just so proud of the girls,” Red Devil head coach Jeremy McGinnis said. “A lot of teams will start to get burned out with a couple of weeks to go, but these girls they’re still at 100% buy-in. Maybe it’s because of our success, and maybe it’s because they’re chasing a championship.”
Whatever the reason, the Red Devils have shown once again that they’ll be a load to tangle with in the national tournament, which runs June 4-9 in Evans, Ga., with their opportunistic offense and stifling defense.
Such was the case Sunday.
Mia Evans got things started in the game’s eighth minute, when she intercepted Pratt’s attempt to clear the ball from deep on the Beaver side of the field.
Evans’ rainbow shot arced just beyond the outstretched arms of Pratt goalkeeper Paige Strausberg for a 1-0 lead.
The Red Devils maintained their lead, and withstood Pratt’s best chance at the equalizer, when ACC goalkeeper Phoenix Michaelis blocked a shot skyward, sending it just over the crossbar.
“It seems like every game, she comes up with one big save like that,” McGinnis said.
“She did a phenomenal job with a big-time save. … Being a goalkeeper can be a weird position, because all you do is wait, wait, wait, and in a matter of seconds you have to make the biggest save of your life.”
The score stayed at 1-0 until deep in the second half.
