FREDERICK — Two disastrous moments in 20 minutes brought Mountain Ridge’s playoff run to a crashing halt.
Mountain Ridge and Harford Tech were tied at one at the end of regulation, but the Miners suffered a significant blow when reigning Offensive Player of the Year Fiona Ruddell sustained an ankle injury with 7:15 to play — one that prompted tears and required her coach, Jon Miller, to carry her off the pitch.
Mountain Ridge showed its courage battling throughout the first overtime down one of its leaders. It lost another one when goalkeeper Taylor Lamberson was issued a red card for a challenge outside the box with just one tick left on the clock before the second extra period.
Playing with 10 players and down two of its best, second-seeded Mountain Ridge finally succumbed to third-seeded Harford Tech when Brooke Pollack scored with 6:54 left in the second overtime, handing the Miners a 2-1 defeat in the Class 1A state semifinals Saturday at Linganore High School.
“We didn’t play our best all day,” Mountain Ridge head coach Jon Miller said. “We didn’t possess the ball really well. We looked a little nervous. … We came out better in the second half. We just couldn’t get the ball down to our feet.
“Our girls showed a lot of heart and grit.”
Mountain Ridge (14-3-1) was fortunate to be in a scoreless game at halftime, bolstered by a heroic effort by Lamberson in goal. The junior finished with eight saves.
The Miners struck first when Kylah Farris sent a free kick into the box. The first shot struck the post, but Ruddell was there for the putback and a 1-0 lead with 36:44 to play in regulation.
Harford Tech (13-2-1) equalized on a free kick of its own, slotted low by Ashley Shelton initially to a Cobra left inside the box, who was able to find Pollack far post with 28:33 on the clock.
Mountain Ridge was outshot 8-5 in the first half but was able to find football in the second, equalling the Cobras with five attempts and three on goal.
The tide changed, however, when Ruddell, who equalled Allie Knieriem with a team-high 16 goals and led the Miners with 12 assists, went down with an injury late in regulation.
Harford Tech took all six of the game’s shots in overtime.
“That hurt us in the middle,” Miller said. “We lost control of the middle.”
Lamberson’s card came when Harford Tech got out in transition, and the officials ruled the foul occurred with one second on the clock.
Had the foul not occurred, the Cobras would not have had time to score regardless.
Harford Tech then put the first shot of the second overtime through the goalmouth to advance to the championship game.
“They never get down,” Harford Tech head coach Mike Moloney said. “They keep playing right until the final whistle. So the fact that they scored on us, I think actually motivated them more, and they went back to playing passing and sending the space rather than just trying to bomb the ball up the field.”
Lamberson prevented as many as three goals before halftime.
She made a diving stop in the 17th minute, fell on a corner kick in the box that hit post in the 18th minute, and denied Pollack in a one-on-one scenario with a point-blank reaction save in the 39th minute.
“Taylor made some really good saves,” Miller said. “We didn’t do her any favors because we couldn’t possess the ball and keep it up front. Our defense took a beating the first half.”
Mountain Ridge viewed this season as a developmental season in the first year of its coaching staff, and Miller admitted the Miners may need to beef up their schedule to be better prepared in future state tournaments.
Still, for a transitional season to end in the state’s Final Four, Miller was proud of his group.
“I’m extremely proud,” he said. “The girls did a great job. The coaches did a great job. We are headed in the right direction. We still got work to do, but we’re in it for the distance, not the sprint.”