On the pitch: G-C boys, NP girls win titles

Greenfield-Central and New Palestine essentially played a two-town soccer doubleheader for sectional championships today. 

Greenfield-Central won the boys game 2-1 on two second-half goals. The game-winner came from Angel Rodriguez, who took a 25-yard shot from the left side that was hard and heavy -- and too heavy for the Dragons' goalkeeper to handle. It trickled through his hands and into the net with 19:44 to go. 

G-C goalkeeper Collin Kleckner only faced two shots on goal -- making a save on a 20-yard shot by Wes Fox early in the game. The Cougars got on the board just under 10 minutes into the second half when Joe Hudson hit a hard shot from the top of the box into the far-post netting on Adam Koers' assist. But less than two minutes later, Fox was fouled from behind just inside the 18-yard stripe, giving the Dragons a penalty kick. John Ernster buried it into the lower left corner. It was his second penalty kick goal of the tournament. 

Kleckner hasn't allowed a goal out of the run of play in the sectional -- both goals against were PKs. 

Both teams had nine shots at the frame in the game. 

G-C wins its third sectional title in school history -- the two previous ones coming in 1995 and 2003. 

The Cougars (13-3-2) move on to play Roncalli in the Mt. Vernon regional next Thursday night. Our broadcast will begin at 6:45 p.m. (or 15 minutes before gametime) on HancockCountySports.com. Warren Central will face #12 Center Grove in the 5 p.m. semifinal. 

Earlier in the afternoon, the New Palestine girls used two early goals from their leading goal scorers to beat Greenfield-Central 2-0. It was the Dragons' sixth consecutive sectional championship. 

Lauren Joray scored her 16th goal of the year on a beautiful shot from the top right side of the box into the upper-left corner of the net just 5:30 into the game. NP added another goal seven minutes later when Lindsay Meyer's quick-restart free kick found Kalli Shepler-Tucker for a goal to make it 2-0. Shepler-Tucker scored her 11th of the year -- for Meyer, it was her 20th assist, second-most in the state. 

NP's Holly Hilton had the shutout for her 16th of the year. That is one short of the school record of 17 -- which Hilton set two years ago as a sophomore. NP has allowed just four goals this season -- the school record is seven. 

NP had 12 shots on goal to G-C's 3. 

The Dragons, ranked No. 11 in Class 2A, move on to the Shelbyville regional to face Center Grove at 5 p.m. Wednesday. The winner will face either Warren Central or Perry Meridian/Franklin Central. No final from that game yet, although PM would have been a heavy favorite.