In a pressure-packed situation such as a penalty kick, she’s a righty.

With the Bobcat girls’ soccer team’s first win hanging in the balance of her 6-yard shot from the penalty spot during double overtime, Major approached the chance head-on both literally and figuratively.

Major’s right-footed free kick found plenty of open space in the upper right-hand corner of the net to lift Marshalltown to a 3-2 triumph over Des Moines North in Friday’s Senior Night match at Leonard Cole Field.

Major scored twice during the contest, including the game-winning goal during double overtime, to help the Bobcats snap their season-long 12-game losing skid.

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE

Major’s penalty kick arrived on the heels of an apparent injury to Naomi Boland, who knocked knees with a North defender while trying convert a scoring chance inside the penalty area. The official allowed MHS (1-12) to play the advantage when the ball deflected to Vanessa Garcia Armas, but when the Polar Bears put foot to ball, he whistled for the penalty kick.

While the trainer attended to Boland, Marshalltown head coach Stacy Galema made sure Major was up to the moment.

“I wanted to take it, or Isabel [Ibarra] if not me, but I’d rather have the pressure on me than someone else,” Major said.

Galema said the underlying reason for giving Major the option to turn her down was simply to make sure her hard-working midfielder had enough energy to be sure of her self. The ability was never in question.

“McKenna is one of the best shot-takers on our team and obviously deserving of the opportunity,” Galema said. “Unfortunately Naomi got hurt on the play or she could have taken it, but if McKenna was rested enough I wanted her to take it.”

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE

Marshalltown had already doubled its season goals total (2) by scoring twice in the first half. Emma Lizarde capitalized on a bouncing ball in the box on an extra but necessary pass from Denisse Hernandez in the eighth minute, and Major’s well-placed lofting right-footer from 25 yards caught Manriquez just far enough off the line to sneak the shot under the crossbar.

But for every Bobcat goal, Des Moines North (5-8) had an answer. Vanessa Perez scored the equalizer both times for the Polar Bears, putting away a penalty kick in the 26th minute and taking a long lead pass for the tying goal with two minutes left in the half.

Marshalltown had numerous chances to take advantage of the wind at its back in the second half, outshooting the Polars 8-2, but nothing found its way through.

Not until Boland earned the penalty kick that Major made good on during the second overtime period.

“[Winning] means a lot, I mean who wants to go the season without a win?” Major posed. “I’m proud of the way the team has stayed together.”

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE

The Bobcats close the regular season on the road next Thursday, visiting Ottumwa (2-9) for a 7 p.m. contest.

Marshalltown 3,

Des Moines North 2, 2OT

At Marshalltown

First Half

MHS — Emma Lizarde (Denisse Hernandez), 7:59.

DMN — Vanessa Perez (pk), 25:49.

MHS — McKenna Major, 32:13.

DMN — Perez (Mya Alexander), 38:05.

Second Half

No scoring.

Overtime

No scoring.

Double overtime

MHS — Major (pk), 93:43.

Goalkeepers — DMN: Alyssa Manriquez (21 shots on goal-18 saves); MHS: Itzel Hueso (7-5), Lizarde (1-1).

Shots on goal — DMN 8, MHS 21.

Fouls — DMN 5, MHS 4.

Corner Kicks — MHS 14.

Yellow Cards — Perez, DMN, 88:49.

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