Hills West Boys Soccer Survives Penalty Kicks, Move on to Next Round
Marcus Fraser nails a bike to reset the ball back into play. Photo by Kane Lewandowski
The Hills West boys varsity soccer team defeated Sayville High School 1-0 Friday in an exciting penalty kick finish. Fans from both schools braved the cold, windy day to watch a long battle that lasted 2 halves, 2 extra time periods and a penalty kick session.
In the first half, both teams played extremely well on both sides of the ball. It was all about the defenses in the first half as both goalies stoutly protected their nets. Providing a highlight of the second half, Benny Nacht took a dive at a player in order to make a save which resulted in him being called for a yellow card. The yellow card forced Nacht to be removed from the pitch and Sophomore backup goalie, Mike Lee, didn’t miss a beat. He dove to his right, lunging out with his right hand to make the save of the season and kept Hills West’s playoff journey alive. The regulation time ended in a draw and moved on to the first overtime period. The defenses dominated both overtimes, and the score was knotted at 0-0 going into penalty kicks. During penalty kicks, Nacht made 3 saves and goals by Issah Khanat, Luke Bloom, and Jonah Landow lifted Hills West over Sayville. This win advances Hills West to the next round, where they will play Monday, October 29th at 2:00 pm at Amityville High School. Come out and support the boys!!
Written by: Sam Martin, Noah Gardy, and Tyler Wichman
