COLLINSVILLE - On Tuesday night, in a penalty shootout, Ellie Neath and Kylie Peel scored for Edwardsville's girls soccer team, while goalie Genny Burroughs made two key stops on O'Fallon's first two attempts after the IHSA Class 3A Pekin sectional semifinal match between the Tigers and defending state champion Panthers.
Lightning and thunderstorm interrupted the proceedings, causing the shootout to be suspended until early Wednesday evening, When it resumed, Blakely Hockett and Anna Maxim scored to give the Tigers a 4-1 win in the shootout and a 1-0 win in the match, dethroning O'Fallon and putting Edwardsville through to the Round of 16.
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In the match on Tuesday, the Tigers and Panthers slugged it out toe-to-toe for 100 minutes, both sides had good chances in both regulation and extra time, but the goal never came, forcing the shootout.
On Tuesday night, after Burroughs made her second big save, the officials ruled that the shot came after the lighting sirens sounded, nullifying the save and ordering a retake when the shootout resumed. On Wednesday morning, the IHSA overruled the decision, saying the Panthers' second-round attempt was valid and allowed Burroughs' save to stand.
When the shootout resumed, Hockett scored to make it 3-0, forcing a goal from the Panthers to extend the shootout. Teagan Benson obliged, scoring to make it 3-1 and keep O'Fallon alive. But Maxim scored on the Tigers' fourth-round kick, giving them an insurmountable 4-1 lead and ending the game right in favor of Edwardsville.
The Panthers' season ends at 19-2-1, while the Tigers are now 15-3-1, and will play Minooka, a 4-1 winner over Normal Community in the other semifinal, in Friday's final at Coal Miners Park in Pekin, with the kickoff coming at 5:30 p.m. The winner will play in the Bloomington super-sectional quarterfinal match against either Tinley Park Andrew or New Lenox Lincoln-Way Central Tuesday evening at 6 p.m.
