Bonner Springs grabs late goal for 2-1 win over Ottawa
Lady Braves 5th in 5A Eastern standings
The Bonner Springs Lady Braves defeated Ottawa 2-1 Tuesday evening, pulling out a winning goal with just three minutes left on the clock.
Crystal Lopez timed her run to beat the center defense and found a generous amount of space in front of the Ottawa 6-yard box. Sophomore Naomi Mathis drew two defenders as she raced up the right side and then placed a cross directly into Lopez’s path.
The freshman forward buried the ball low and inside the near post for her fourth goal of the season.
The Lady Braves conceded an equalizer with ten minutes remaining after protecting a one-goal lead for most of the match. The high shot from distance just cleared the fingertips of Merideth Billings’s leaping save attempt.
Billings recorded five saves in the match to keep her team in the lead and has given up just eight goals in eleven matches this year.
Senior defender Rose Bilyeu gave Bonner the advantage on a set piece ten minutes into the match, heading in a well-placed corner kick from senior midfielder Laura Fisher.
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The Lady Braves have been having a breakout season — the win over Ottawa their seventh of the 2025 season. The team’s 7-2-2 overall record puts them fifth in the KSHSAA 5A Eastern standings, positioned for a home playoff match.
Bonner’s 1-1-1 Frontier League record makes the road to the top of the conference standings more challenging. However, the Lady Braves have already played Eudora and Louisburg — Frontier’s two strongest teams — and have four leagues games remaining in the next two weeks that will determine their destiny.
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Photos from Ottawa-Bonner Springs
