After Austin Beck scored early in the 2nd half to tie the game 1-1 against Bolivar Thursday, the Tigers pushed upfield again in wave after wave. They hit the left post. They hit the right post. They hit the crosspost. When they didn’t hit the post, Bolivar goalkeeper Will vanHoornbeek turned them away.
But finally, in the opening moments of the second overtime period, Armando Hurtado fed Dylan Brown, who punched the ball from right to left across the box and into the far corner of the net, giving Republic a 2-1 victory. It was fitting that two seniors teamed for the winning goal on Senior Night, when Republic honored all six of its seniors in their final home game.
“This senior class, they’re a special class,” says coach Kevin Hauck. “They really care for each other. They care for the team. They showed how to work hard in games and practice, to not give up, and just to get after it. Hopefully that mentality and toughness carries on for us.”
Bolivar had taken the lead in the 13th minute when Quentin Hoffman sneaked the ball past Dalton Ghan. That was one of the last scoring opportunities the Liberators would have, as Republic took control from there.
Strong play in the middle and back for Republic helped them keep relentless pressure on Bolivar. Several Tigers had opportunities to score after Beck’s equalizer, but none of them could finish. On the defensive end of the field, the Tigers turned in another strong performance, making it difficult for the Liberators to get off a shot most of the night.
It appeared Republic had taken the lead on a penalty kick in the 2nd half, after a hand ball by Bolivar. Dylan Brown pounded the kick into the top back of the net, but officials waved it off, saying another Tiger had stepped into the goal box too soon. On his second opportunity, Brown hit the crosspost, and the ball caromed straight down into the ground and out toward the field of play, instead of going in.
Republic’s seniors are Brown, Hurtado, Trenton Roetto, Conner Sutton, Aaron Scobee, and Chad Parker.
The Tigers improve to 18-3 overall. They play Kickapoo next Monday evening.