RABBITTOWN — The East Hall boys soccer team had every opportunity to let its season slip away on Wednesday night.
The Vikings could have despaired at a 2-0 deficit, could have let a late first half goal stunt their progress, could have let a 4-3 deficit stand with less than 10 minutes to play. They even could have slipped up in penalty kicks.
Thanks to players like Maury Ibarra, Sergio Turcios, Giezi Barrientos, Daniel Menchaca and Daniel Carillo it was never even a consideration.
East Hall answered every question put to it by Coahulla Creek in the second round of the Class 3A state playoffs, playing to a 4-4 tie through regulation and overtime -- and then stumped the visiting Colts in a penalty shootout, 4-2, as back-up goalkeeper Carillo stopped two Coahulla penalties to secure a state quarterfinal berth.
"Just fighting back and doing it knowing you're not 100 percent... this team is amazing," said East Hall coach Chris Horton, shaking his head at the sheer joy and craziness of a contest that saw East Hall tie the score three separate times and never lead in open play but still claim the win. "When we have to go do it we do it -- just like we did in region (when the Vikings edged Greater Atlanta Christian in penalties for the 7-3A crown)."
The Vikings (13-2-4) did it in pressure situations throughout, getting two goals from Ibarra to negate an early deficit and a second half strike from Turcios to make it 3-3. And when circumstances were getting desparate Menchaca pounced on error forced by Barrientos to send the contest into overtime and penalties -- where the Vikings did not miss and Carillo twice denied the Colts (7-5-1) to keep East Hall's season going.
"Every round is tough, and we'll learn from this and move on," Horton said. "It's been a long time since we haven't made the quarterfinals."
East Hall will face the winner of the Long County-Windsor Forest match on Saturday in Rabbittown -- where they will look for a better start than Wednesday's.
Luck was not with the Vikings at the outset -- though Coahulla had something to do with that, as Medina screamed down the right wing and whipped in a cross that Menchaca attempted to clear. But the ball glanced off the defender's boot and into the East Hall net for a 1-0 Colts lead just 1:59 into the contest.
The goal appeared to stun the Vikings, who ceded possesion to the visitors as they looked for a response.
Coahulla kept its strong start going, however, and doubled its lead 10 minutes after the opening strike. This time the Colts used incisive play from Medina and Jaime Mendiola, as a quick one-two played Mendiola clean through on goal. The striker rolled his shot into the net for a 2-0 advantage.
The strike awoke the Vikings, however, and Ibarra responded less than two minutes later, running on to a feed from Turcios and poking a close-range shot into the net to haul East Hall within 2-1 with 26:47 left in the first half.
Ibarra was far from finished, however, and the attacking midfielder -- who controlled much of the Vikings' offense -- came up with a far more audacious strike 12 minutes from the interval. Taking possession and under no pressure, Ibarra looked up and launched a 35-yard effort that just cleared the fingertips of Daniel Lopez and nestled into the Coahulla net to level the score at 2-2.
Taking all the momentum East Hall began to lay siege to the Coahulla goal, and Turcios saw his breakaway run halted just short of goal with three minutes left in the half. But Coahulla turned the tables just seconds before the interval.
With their first real attack since East Hall leveled, the Colts surged back in front, as Ozzy Pintor broke down the left flank and crossed for Medina. The striker arrived just in front of East Hall goalkeeper Oscar Rosas, the pair colliding as Medina reached out to poke the ball into the net for a 3-2 Coahulla lead.
The collision knocked Rosas from the game, as Daniel Carillo entered for the injured starter and finished the contest -- and in emphatic fashion.
It was a contest far from over. And the Vikings once again knotted the score just seven minutes into the restart. This time Turcios provided the strike, bursting on to a pass from Jairo Valdez and slotting past Lopez from close range for 3-3.
Once again, however, the Colts fashioned a response.
As Christian Lewis and East Hall's Giezi Barrientos battled for possession in front of the Vikings goal, the ball rolled perfectly into the path of Francisco Medina, and the midfielder pounced, driving an 18-yard pile driver into the East Hall net for a 4-3 lead with 29:25 remaining.
The back-and-forth nature of the contest would not ebb away, however -- the Vikings would not let it. And East Hall once again surged forward in search of the equalizer.
With just 7:38 to play East Hall found it -- and it was sweet redemption for Menchaca, who was placed perfectly to make the most of a loose corner kick. Barrientos leapt high for the cross, colliding with Lopez, and the ball bounced perfectly for Menchaca, who prodded it into the net for 4-4.
The strike set off another siege of the Colts goal, but the Vikings could not find the answer, as the game drifted into overtime. And the energy expended in regulation made for an anti-climactic extra frame, sending the contest to penalties.
Turcios, Freddy Rebollar, Carlos Pulido and Ibarra each converted kicks in the shootout, Ibarra sealing the win after Carillo's kick save of Emmanuel Arredondo's penalty. Carillo dove low to deny Gustavo Arrendondo just one round prior.
"Daniel is phenomenal," Horton said. "He was telling (Rosas) where to dive when we had our shootout against GAC. Oscar should be OK, he took a hit in the head, and we were not going to take any chances."
