Photo Courtesy of Hillcrest Academy

Regulation, two overtime periods, even five penalty kicks weren’t enough to decide the match Tuesday in Kalona between the home Hillcrest Ravens and Central Lee Hawks, but when the dust finally cleared, more than two and a half hours after action started, it was the Ravens that walked away with the hard fought 2-1 victory. Central Lee found the back of the net in the first half to jump on top 1-0. Things stayed that way until the 56th minute when Raven striker Owen Scott beat the Hawk’s defense to tie the game at one. He spoke after the match with KCII Sports about the goal. “I think it bounced off the goalie then I kneed it in, I was just trying to be positive, telling myself I was going to make it. Just have that mentality.”

Things stayed deadlocked at one through the rest of regulation, and a pair of sudden death overtimes. In penalty kicks, each team converted four of their first five with Raven goals coming from Grant Bender, Micah Gerber, Jesse Blossom, and Seth Ours. With things still tied, alternating kicks began. Scott pounded home the first for Hillcrest and was matched by Central Lee. Then Lincoln Miller stepped up and delivered the sixth PK goal for Hillcrest, and what would turn out to be the winner after a Hawk miss. Miller, and Hillcrest keeper Kyle Neuschwander spoke with KCII Sports after the match about what they were thinking during the shoot out. Miller said, “Honestly, I just said a little prayer. It’s all about mental toughness. You’ve got to think that you’re going to make it. I was just looking forward to going back and celebrating with my teammates. It was great!”

Neuschwander added, “It’s interesting how people change from PK to PK. Some of them I should have saved but I’ll get better. When I saw the last one I was really happy. That gave us the game! And it meant I didn’t have to do it again.”

Hillcrest remains unbeaten on the season at 3-0 with a trip to Columbus on the calendar Thursday.