Perry survived blowing a 3-0 lead to score a 5-3 victory over a good Collins-Maxwell team in their Class 2A Region 3 First Round contest at Dewey Field Thursday.[wpedon id=”82220″ align=”center”]
The Jayettes (10-5) controlled the first third of the match, the Spartans (9-4) the second third, and then the Jayettes the final third in advancing to face 8th-ranked ADM Tuesday in Adel at 6 p.m.
While both teams had their moments, the match was — so far as scoring was concerned — very nearly neatly divided in thirds.
Perry junior Natalie Martinez was at her most dangerous best, scoring four times to lift her season total to 28 goals. Her first goal, in the 13th minute of action, opened the scoring.
Sophomore Molly Lutmer scored on a well-performed play in the 23rd minute for a 2-0 lead.
Fellow sophomore Magley Orellana set up the score with a perfect 40-yard pass that dropped just past the back line of the Spartan defense, allowing Lutmer to run onto the ball. Lutmer fended off one defender, then bent a hard shot low and into the left-hand corner to cap the play.
Orellana’s second long assist of the game came in the 32nd minute when she connected with Martinez, who beat the keeper for a 3-0 Perry lead.
The Spartans rallied in response, scoring three minutes later to send the teams into the half with the hosts holding a 3-1 lead.
C-M might have tied the game had it not been for strong play in goal by Selena Garcia. She saved a break-out run with Perry holding a 1-0 lead, then turned aside a hard blast with the Jayettes leading 2-0. She finished with three saves, with Odaly Perla making one save after entering the game in the second half.
The Spartans found the back of the net in the 46th minute to close to within a goal, then knotted the score in the 53rd minute to steal the momentum.
Perry stole the emotional edge back just six minutes later when Martinez scored for a 4-3 lead, with a Martinez goal in the 73rd minute finally ending the suspense.
