Mid-Prairie goalkeeper Cassidy Bontrager gets her hands on a corner kick during Tuesday’s Class 1A Region 8 quarterfinal game versus Columbus. Bontrager made 18 saves to help the Golden Hawks advance with a 1-0 victory in penalty kicks. Photo by KCII’s Nate Gonner.
Eighty minutes of regulation, two overtime periods, 10 penalty kicks, and four first goals of the postseason were needed for the Mid-Prairie Golden Hawks girls’ soccer team (5-9 overall) to advance in the Class 1A postseason tournament. The Golden Hawks welcomed the Columbus Wildcats (3-13 overall) for a Class 1A Region 8 quarterfinal showdown at the Wellman Recreation Complex. In the ultimate sudden death, Mid-Prairie edged Columbus in penalty kicks 4-3 for a 1-0 victory.
The first 100 minutes of action saw both teams show their defensive grit, holding each other off the scoreboard. Columbus put 14 shots on goal over the course of the game, unable to sneak the ball past senior goal keeper Cassidy Bontrager. Mid-Prairie put seven shots on goal during regulation and the first two overtimes, but was unsuccessful in getting the ball in the back of the net.
The standard amount of shots during the penalty kick round is five per team , but if the game remains tied extra shooters are added until a winner is decided. Mid-Prairie and Columbus had 10 players each to attempt a penalty kick. Four Golden Hawks scored their first goals of the season including sophomore Erica Slaughbaugh, who drilled her the game deciding goal into the top right corner for a 4-3 advantage. Bontrager made the final save on sophomore Alexis Santos to seal the victory.
Slaughbaugh said she entered the penalty box wanting to keep the season alive, “I was just really nervous and I wanted to make the goal for our seniors.” Slaughbaugh said, “We wanted to move on and have them continue their playing career.”
Senior Sage Becker, junior Cianna Carr, and sophomore Mikayla Ulin also recorded their first goals of the season in the penalty kick round to help the Golden Hawks advance. Bontrager, who made 18 saves total in the game, hopes this win will help build confidence for the next round. “Whoever we play we will be able to take this energy we had and the excitement we have will catapult us into the next round,” Bontrager said.
The Golden Hawks were without two seniors who made up nearly 90 percent of the team’s offense. Ashley Miller is out for the rest of the season after breaking her arm in the 9-2 loss to Solon on May 21, and Ali Riggan is sitting out the remainder of the season.
Mid-Prairie advances to Friday’s semifinal round where they are set to battle the Holy Trinity Crusaiders (12-3 overall) at South Park in West Point.