Turn the Beat around

Second-half rally sends Atlanta to Founders Cup final

ATLANTA (AP) -- The Atlanta Beat were on the verge of another playoff loss. Conny Pohlers and Charmaine Hooper made sure that did not happen.

Pohlers scored in stoppage time to force overtime, and Hooper scored in the fourth minute of the extra period to send the Atlanta Beat to their second Founders Cup in three years with a 2-1 win over San Diego on Sunday.

Pohlers beat Jenni Branam to a ball at the top of the goalie box and tapped it in to send the match into overtime.

"I just told myself, 'Conny, this is your ball,"' Pohlers said. "Then the ball hit the ground and I got to it."

With the game tied, Atlanta coach Tom Stone felt the momentum shift to his team.

"We'd just gutted San Diego with Conny's goal," Stone said. "To have to come back out there for overtime after something like that is very difficult."

Hooper took a pass from Leslie Gaston and outran Joy Fawcett, who injured her ankle on the play in which Pohlers scored. She then beat Branam with a shot to the left side of the goal.

"I told myself I wouldn't shoot from too far out," Hooper said. "Joy's very fast and a smart defender. When I beat her to the ball, I was surprised I was so free."

The second-seeded Beat will play fourth-seeded Washington in the Founders Cup III on Aug. 24. The Beat lost in the 2001 Founders Cup and in the 2002 semifinals.

Atlanta won two and tied one in the season series against the Freedom.

Atlanta missed a chance at the early advantage when Hooper missed outside the left post in the third minute after collecting an entry pass from Maribel Dominguez.

San Diego appeared headed for the championship game in its own stadium for most of the afternoon, taking the lead on a goal by Aly Wagner in the 38th minute.

Wagner scored when she fielded a ball that bounded away from Julie Fleeting and Nancy Augustyniak from a crossing pass by Kerry Connors. Wagner beat Briana Scurry with a clean shot to the right side of the goal.

"This is a tough one because you have yourself in a position to play at home," Julie Foudy said. "We were tasting it right up until that last minute."

Dominguez had a chance to tie it in the 58th minute, but her shot was cleared by Fawcett.

 

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