Alpharetta Stuns No. 1 Seed Brookwood in Girls Soccer

The first big upset of the girls state soccer tournament belongs to Alpharetta. And we're not just talking big upset; we're talking gigantically huge upset.

Behind a second half goal from forward Elise Lind, the No. 4 seed Lady Raiders advanced to round two of the state soccer tournament with a shocking 1-0 win over Brookwood, the state's third ranked team. The No. 1 seeded Lady Broncos had not lost at home since March 18.

After watching her team get outshot and outplayed in the first half, Lady Raider coach Rebecca Parker was mildly concerned.

"[Brookwood] definitely dominated us the first half," Parker said of the No. 1 seed out of Region 8. "But I told the girls at halftime that all the pressure was on Brookwood. Our goal in the second half was to go out and keep them on their heels."

Keeping the Lady Broncos on their heels is exactly what Alpharetta did. After only recording two solid shots on goal in the first half, the Lady Raiders came out firing in half number two.

Alpharetta got off good three shots in the first 10 minutes of the second half, including a shot by Lind that hit off the top of the goal.

"When [Elise] hit the crossbar [with her shot], the team finally started to believe in their heads that 'maybe we can actually do this,'" Parker said after the game.

Fourteen minutes after hitting the crossbar, Lind was at it once again. After a throw-in from teammate Emily Kelbs landed at the feet of a Brookwood defender, Lind took the ball and launched a shot from 10 feet away. The ball rocketed through the hands of Bronco goalkeeper Kristen Rivers and into the left corner of the goal.

Lind's score was all Alpharetta would need.

The win wouldn't have been possible without stellar play from Alpharetta goalies Jenny Bilko and Jill Maloney. Bilko pitched a shutout in the game's first half, then watched as Maloney made several diving saves while goalkeeping in the second half.

"We started [Jenny] in the first half, she's been working hard all year and we thought she deserved it," Power said of her senior goalkeeper. "Jill was playing internationally last week, so it was great to have her back for the second half, she's always got some big saves up her sleeve and she's a great player."

Alpharetta's next match will be on May 3. The Lady Raiders will play either Lassiter or Mill Creek, that game will be played Wednesday evening at Lassiter.

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