March 28, 2024

Gomez goal sinks Great Bend in OT

Garden City, KS (westernkansasnews.com)-For nearly 90 minutes on Tuesday, Garden City and Great Bend traded blows. But neither team could make a dent in the scoreboard. 

That finally changed with two minutes to go in the first overtime. 

Emmeline Gomez goal in the 88th minute sealed Garden City’s dramatic 1-0 victory over the Panthers at Buffalo Stadium. 

“I didn’t even see it go in,” Head Coach Joaquin Padilla said afterwards. “But all I care is that the girls won the game.”

Before Gomez’s late-game dramatics, the Buffaloes had their chance to go ahead in the 62nd minute. But Amber Miller’s shot was off the mark, and the scoreless deadlock remained. 

“Our offense was out of sync in the first half,” Padilla explained. In the second half it was much better. But this team is carried by defense.”

That defense stiffed the Panthers-only allowing seven shots on goal.

Then the breakthrough.

In the 88th minute, Miller found Gomez streaking towards the box. The freshman did not get all of her power into the kick, but it was just enough to trickle through.