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Ramstein's Melissa Hirzel hits a header in front of Heidelberg's Nikki Strange during the girls Division I European Soccer Championship on Friday.

Ramstein's Melissa Hirzel hits a header in front of Heidelberg's Nikki Strange during the girls Division I European Soccer Championship on Friday. (Raymond T. Conway / S&S)

Ramstein's Melissa Hirzel hits a header in front of Heidelberg's Nikki Strange during the girls Division I European Soccer Championship on Friday.

Ramstein's Melissa Hirzel hits a header in front of Heidelberg's Nikki Strange during the girls Division I European Soccer Championship on Friday. (Raymond T. Conway / S&S)

Heidelberg goalie Fallon Puppolo stops a penalty kick by Ramstein's Sarah Moore to clinch the girls Division I European Soccer Championship.

Heidelberg goalie Fallon Puppolo stops a penalty kick by Ramstein's Sarah Moore to clinch the girls Division I European Soccer Championship. (Raymond T. Conway / S&S)

Ramstein goalie Dallas Norman breathes a sigh of relief after making a big save against Heidelberg.

Ramstein goalie Dallas Norman breathes a sigh of relief after making a big save against Heidelberg. (Raymond T. Conway / S&S)

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany — It was déjà vu all over again ... almost.

For the second year in a row, the Division I girls soccer championship game pitted Ramstein against Heidelberg.

For the second year in a row, the game went to double overtime.

For the second year in a row, the game was decided in a shootout.

But this year, Heidelberg emerged victorious Friday evening, winning 5-4 in a shootout. Ramstein could not successfully defend its title, giving the undefeated Lady Lions their fifth title in six years.

Heidelberg coach Jim McCauley said the feeling of winning the game was “fantastic, just fantastic.”

“(Ramstein) is one heck of a good team,” said. “We hated losing it on a (penalty kick) against them last year.”

Sophomore striker Lauren Brousseau scored the shootout goal that eventually gave Heidelberg the victory.

“I was really nervous,” Brousseau said. “I didn’t even look at the goal. I just shot it.”

Prior to the title game, the Lady Royals’ only loss of the season had come to Heidelberg.

“Its just heart wrenching,” Ramstein coach Ricardo Buitrago said. “To see the girls work so hard. They just dominated the whole game. To have it end like this is difficult. I’m very proud of what they did.”

At the end of 80 minutes of regulation, the score was tied 0-0.

The first half was marked by several shots on goal by both teams. The back-and-forth battle in the first half had both teams taking shots on goal within minutes of each other.

From a weather standpoint, the game remained relatively dry. A pre-game shower dampened the field, and a brief sprinkle at the 10-minute mark had fans opening umbrellas.

Ramstein seemed to have a stronger second half with several shots on goal including nice looks by Sarah Moore and Katie Francis, but the Heidelberg defense denied the Lady Royals.

The first 10-minute overtime period was more of a seesaw battle with both teams seeing scoring opportunities early, but the period ended without a score. The second 10-minute overtime period had fans all but convinced that the game was headed for shootout for the second straight year.

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