Muncy players celebrate their game-winning goal as the Schuylkill Haven defenders console each other after Saturday's PIAA Class A quarterfinal at Central Columbia (Photo by Leroy Boyer)

ALMEDIA — Overtime soccer games usually end with an unexpected, sometimes fluky goal.

When that goal comes in the postseason, it means that one team celebrates and sings its fight song to the fans while the other sees its season end in heart-breaking fashion.

Unfortunately for the Schuylkill Haven girls’ soccer team, the latter was the case Saturday afternoon.

Kiki Woodward’s goal with 2:35 remaining in the second overtime lifted Muncy to a 2-1 victory over the Hurricanes in a PIAA Class A quarterfinal matchup at Central Columbia’s Blue Jay Stadium.

The victory advances the District 4 champion Indians (20-2-1) to Tuesday’s state semifinals against District 1 champion Faith Christian, which blasted Southern Columbia 6-0 in another quarterfinal Saturday.

District 11 champion Schuylkill Haven ends its season at 17-6-1.

“We were dominating the game, had chances after chances,” Schuylkill Haven coach Scott Burcik said. “Certain calls didn’t go our way. The girls fought the entire time. Nothing for them to hang their heads about.

“Something like this happens when you get to this level and it hurts for one team.”

Things certainly looked bright for the Hurricanes early.

Haven’s Kylie Siket scored the game’s first goal just 1:37 into the contest when she lofted a shot from the left corner that Muncy goalkeeper Eva Nagel tried to catch and it went off her hands into the net.

Nagel was struck in the head by a shot off the post during pre-game warm-ups and was tended to by trainers for 10-15 minutes but still played. She made 13 saves.

“We said take shots and see what’s going to happen, especially seeing the injury,” Burcik said. “Then I think we took a step back and …. It took us a little bit to go back at them and realize we could take these shots. They just didn’t fall.”

Haven had several excellent chances through the first 20 minutes but couldn’t get one past Nagel. The Hurricanes had four shots and four corner kicks in the first half and took a 1-0 lead into intermission.

That margin extended nearly the entire second half, mostly in part to great play in net by Haven goalkeeper Ally Becker. Muncy swung the momentum in its favor midway through the second half, with Becker coming out to stone Ava Eyer on a scoring chance with 25:20 remaining.

For the game, Becker finished with 10 saves.

“Unfortunately for Ally, she was hidden all year with our team defense,” Burcik said of the junior keeper. “People never really got to see Ally until the past 2-3 weeks.

“We needed her. She stepped up and played a solid keeper.”

Haven nearly made it 2-0 twice in the second half, but each time came away empty. That came back to bite the Hurricanes when Alexis McKeta collected a loose ball in the middle of the field and blasted one past Becker from 25 yards out to tie the contest at 1-1 with 3:53 remaining in regulation.

Schuylkill Haven dominated the first overtime as Ava Terefencko had three shots on goal. The Hurricanes’ best chance to win it came with 1:45 remaining when Taylor Haag lofted a ball over the defense that Siket collected and began a breakaway toward the Muncy goal.

However, the play was stopped due to an offsides call that left a large contingent of Schuylkill Haven fans and Burcik irate. Burcik vehemently argued the call, but got no satisfaction.

“My reaction shows that I was in line with that play, the ref was not,” Burcik said. “I did not see an offsides. That was a breakaway, 1 vs. keeper and it got stopped because of an offsides call. It was crushing.

“Did it stop our girls? No, they kept going. For me, I was surprised I was still in the game after that.”

In the second overtime, Haag had a shot hit off the crossbar and another shot from the left wing just miss the net.

Then, with 2:35 remaining, Eyer made a long throw-in from the left side toward the middle of the field that Woodward headed just enough to get over Becker and into the net, giving Muncy the victory after 107-plus minutes of soccer.

Just like that, the game was over.

While the loss stings, the future is bright for Schuylkill Haven.

Standout seniors Audrey Hutchinson and Bella Murphy graduate, but the Schuylkill League runners-up return nine starters from this year’s club, including All-State selection Haag, Siket, Becker, Terefencko, midfielder Mckenna Runkle, defenders Lilly McDonald and Allie Scherer and freshmen Abby Farrell and Aubrey Wade.

“These girls work hard, not just this season, but all the seasons they play,” Burcik said. “The summer workouts, top-notch. I think there will be teams afraid of this team returning. We lose key players, but we still are young.”

Match Summary

PIAA Class A Girls’ Soccer Quarterfinal

At Central Columbia HS

Sch. Haven (17-5-1)                    1               0               0               0               —            1

Muncy (19-2-1)                                 0               1               0               1               —            2

SH — Siket, 1:37

Mun — McKeta, 76:07

Mun — Woodward (A. Eyer), 107:25

Shots on goal: Schuylkill Haven 14, Muncy 12

Corner kicks: Schuylkill Haven 6, Muncy 2

Saves: Schuylkill Haven (Becker) 10, Muncy (E. Nagel) 13