Wanting to avoid penalty kicks, Oswego's Jordyn Washington gets open for a shot. And scores. ‘You never know.'
Some might call what happened next serendipity. The junior forward ended up with the ball at her feet just outside of the Waubonsie Valley box — and she saw her chance to slam the door.
'The game was very physical up to that point,' Washington said. 'I looked and looked and knew the ball was coming to me. I grabbed it underneath my foot and then kicked it as fast as I could.
'You never know. You just have to get it there.'
Washington definitely got it there Thursday night, scoring a goal in the 92nd minute to lead the host Panthers to a 3-2 victory in double overtime of a Class 3A Oswego Regional semifinal.
Freshman forward Mane Brolley also scored off an assist by Washington for fifth-seeded Oswego (20-4-1), which plays at noon Saturday against fourth-seeded Naperville North (12-5-3) for the regional title.
Senior forward Katie Chapman scored two goals in the second half on assists off free kicks by junior defender McKinley Ladd to lead Waubonsie Valley (3-10-5).
Washington now has 28 goals and 16 assists this spring. Her ability to facilitate for others is the most significant improvement from last season, when had 23 goals and three assists.
'I think I'm always aware of where I am and I always try to go as far as I can with the ball,' she said. 'I'm always thinking about who's around me and if I can pass it off.
'That is just great to see if somebody has a better shot than me.'
Brolley pointed out that having a game-changing player like Washington allows the team to stay calm even in the most demanding situations.
'I just know if I play Jordyn the ball, she's going to get it and score,' Brolley said. 'I wasn't worried even when they tied it and it went to overtime. She's really fast and can get by anybody.'
Senior midfielder Grace Braun confirmed the other players also have complete faith in Washington's ability to deliver.
'She's really clutch in tough games,' Braun said. 'We can always rely on her to come through for us under pressure. Any time she gets the ball in the box like that, it's very hard on the other team.
'She wants it so badly and everything is personal.'
The 5-foot-11 Washington, an Alabama A&M recruit, missed her freshman season recovering from a torn ACL. She combines elite size, speed and a physical presence on the ball.
'I think because of my size, my speed sometimes catches people off guard,' Washington said. 'I always try to be aggressive and play more at my feet with my speed.'
She has a scorer's instinct as well, with a feel for the action around her. Two or three defenders are usually trying to dislodge the ball from her. And that's not all.
'I've always been able to look up and just know exactly how many steps I need to take to shoot the ball,' she said. 'I know what feels comfortable and what doesn't.'
Her father, Verrell, played college football at Tennessee State.
Jordyn, who did multiple sports growing up, played basketball for Oswego through her sophomore year before focusing exclusively on soccer.
She recently took up the electric guitar, underscoring her creative nature and competitive intensity. She showed off considerable promise in her sophomore debut but was hungry for more.
'I had a great sophomore season, and it showed where I wanted to be and how good I could be,' she said. 'I remember thinking maybe I'm not going to be good anymore.
'Some players come off an injury and they don't play as well. I improved a lot.'
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