HEMET — There was plenty of distance between Hemet midfielder Nola Prickett and her intended target.But that did not sway her decision-making.“When you’re taking those kicks, and they set up their wall like that, it’s a really hard shot to make,” said Prickett. “You have to have confidence that it’s going to go in, because if you think it’s not going to go in, it’s not going to go in.”Prickett’s perfect free kick from 31yards out with14 minutes remaining lifted the Bulldogs to a 2-0 victory over Murrieta Valley in the semifinals of the Hemet Tournament on Saturday morning.The Bulldogs (10-0-1) advanced to the championship game Saturday afternoon against Murrieta Mesa.As Prickett prepared to approach the ball from the left hash mark, the sophomore quickly sized up her chances.“There is a little bit of luck, but we worked really hard to get to that point,” said Prickett after scoring her fifth goal this year. “So we deserved that chance. It wasn’t just a lucky shot.”All that was left was to rear back and fire. Her kick went high on a line toward the middle of the goal before curving left and landing in the top left corner of the net.“You have to have confidence, and somehow bend it around that wall, and hope that it goes in,” said Prickett. “After I kicked it, I pretty much knew it was going in.”Murrieta Valley (4-2) junior goalie Brittany Rogers was reluctant to give credit.“I was taking orders from my defense,” said Rogers. “I kind of went halfway. I should have went the whole way, I guess.”Was she impressed with the goal?“It was a decent shot, I guess,” Rogers said. “But I’ve seen better, I guess.”Hemet coach Craig Dwinnell was one of the few who wasn’t surprised.“For Nola, it was not an improbable shot,” said Dwinnell. “We expect those kinds of shots from her.”Hemet tacked on an insurance goal with two minutes remaining when Tristan Self knocked in a rebound from 15 yards out.“I thought (teammate Krista Haddock) was going to score, but we know to keep running along in case the shot gets blocked,” said Self, a junior midfielder. “There was a small hole between a defender and the goalie, so I just aimed for it.”Hemet, which lost in the Division 6 finals last season, recorded what some would call a signature win over a quality Division 2 opponent.“It’s a very good win for us,” Dwinnell said. “On my schedule, I was looking forward to this game.”
ANDREW FOULK/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHERHemet’s Nola Prickett is congratulated by Irahis Esquivel (14) after she scored against Murrieta Valley during the second half of their Hemet Tournament semifinal Saturday.