The Northampton girls soccer team kicked off their 2023 campaign with a dramatic 1-0 overtime win against the 5-time defending District XI class A champions, Moravian Academy.

Junior Lilly Konya notched the game-winner with 8:44 left in the second overtime when she corralled a loose ball off of a Lindsay Reimer service from near midfield and threaded a shot between the Moravian keeper and the near-side left post.

Konya described her emotions after battling for over 90 minutes in the oppressive late-August heat, “Excited, super excited. That was the toughest game I’ve played in, but getting off the field with a win brought up the energy again.” She explained the final sequence, “It was all reaction. I just saw the ball and my first thought was, ‘Shoot’. We needed a goal to win and my only thought was to score.”

Head coach Michael Missmer gave his perspective on the game, “We played so well. We just weren’t finding the back of the net. We were moving the ball and I’m really excited to see us on turf at home. If we struggle in some of these early games, but ultimately come out with a ‘W’ that’s all that matters. By midseason we will put it all together and do really well.”

The K-Kids controlled the game for the first 60 minutes. The ball was in the Lions’ defensive half for most that time and if not for a couple of acrobatic saves by Moravian keeper Addison Etter on rockets off the foot of Chloe Watson, the game would have ended in regulation.

Northampton keeper Emma Fry made the most important of her 7 saves with 21:31 left in regulation. Her sprawling, smothering save robbed a Moravian attacker who had an open path to the net.

Although the Kids dominated the first 10-minute overtime period, the Northampton partisans had to hold their collective breath as a Lions’ shot trickled mere inches outside the right post with 5 seconds left in the period.

The early season sets up nicely to get the K-Kids off to fast start as they commence their EPC schedule. The next week sees them take on a pair of teams from the North in Pleasant Valley and East Stroudsburg North. Home games with Liberty and Stroudsburg serve as the final tune ups before their clash with Nazareth under the lights on Kremus field on September 11.