By Eric Trent
Myu Ban booted a corner kick that hit the inside of the post, hit the crossbar, then came down on the line, where Ellie Small knocked it in to ensure a 1-0 double-overtime victory over North Idaho College to send the Lady Pirates to the NWAC Final Four.
“Myu bent it right into the corner. It literally landed right on the spot and I was like two to three yards away. That’s when I just made sure it went into the goal,” Small said.
“It’s very exciting and emotional, and there’s just different types of emotion going through everyone’s head.”
“We were really confident that we were going to make it there. So, it’s not like a surprise, but that game was a rough one,” she said.
Peninsula and North Idaho battled not only themselves, but also relentless sheets of rain that pelted down on the players for most of the match, which made it difficult to gain much ground offensively.
“I’m a little torn about our performance on Saturday. I thought we played conservatively which prevented us from fully committing to goal scoring chances,” Pirate Head Coach Kanyon Anderson said.
“I thought our corner kick and free kicks were sub-par. But, I thought we were great defensively at every position.”
“And, I was really impressed with our physical and mental toughness. We didn’t show signs of fatigue even though we played a longer game and subbed less than usual,” he said.
“And, we didn’t ever seem to feel overwhelmed by the pressure of a sudden death situation.”
“I am very proud of this group. I have told them all year that this has been one of the most enjoyable seasons I have had as a coach, so any chance to extend the season and spend more time around each other is a great reward,” Anderson said.
The lady Pirates face Highline (11-1-0) on Nov. 14 at the Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, Wash.
