MIAMISBURG — Niley Baker had a tear on her face which was noticed by a teammate as the second overtime period ended.
“I wasn’t nervous,” Baker said. “I just knew we had chances to win already and wanted to do so.”
Baker made the final save in penalty kicks to propel Beavercreek into the district final on Saturday with a win over Bellbrook at Miamisburg High School on Monday.
Beavercreek and Bellbrook tied at one goal apiece at the end of regulation and neither team could score in either overtime period.
In penalty kicks, both teams made its first three attempts before both missing on the fourth.
After both calmy struck in goals on the fifth kick, Cholee McCartney was sent in for Beavercreek and scored what would be the game-winner into the lower left corner.
Baker said the situation didn’t have an effect on her demeanor as the game was on the line, and she showed it by leaping to her right to make a save on Bellbrook’s Ava Spirk.
Beavercreek head coach Steve Popp said his team practices every situation to prepare for moments like the one experienced in Monday’s match so something like penalty kicks aren’t as foreign to his team.
Bellbrook got on the board in the first half on a goal by Lily Schindler, her team leading 13th of the season, struck from the corner of the 18-yard box.
The Golden Eagles defense caused frustrations for Beavercreek until one of its own counters help tie the match.
Elise Canter went one-on-one and scored from near the top of the box to tie the match. It was her eighth goal this year.
Both teams produced multiple chances in the second half and both overtime periods but were unable to break through.
The two teams had played on Aug. 23, which Beavercreek won 3-0 at the start of the season.
Beavercreek will play Loveland on Thursday at 7pm with the match taking place at Mason High School.
