Dramatic Ending - an OT Victory - Leads Skyline High Boys' Soccer Team Into State Semifinals

EVERETT -- Pedro Miola just thought "don't miss." He didn't.

With the ball at his feet just in front of the Mariner (17-4 overall) goal and Marauders keeper Ulises Hernandez falling away, Miola reacted instinctively. He deposited the game-winning goal into the roof of the net to send  to the 4A boys soccer state semifinals with a 3-2 overtime victory - for the first time in school history.

"It felt crazy," Miola said. "There were so many emotions throughout the game. There was frustration, there was happiness, there was joy...just a game to remember."

Miola's second goal of the game, came in the second minute of the sudden death overtime period and capped a two-part thriller that left a Mariner High School home crowd devastated in this city.

In the 80th minute, as stoppage time drained away, Spartans defenseman Austin Dodd got a rebound off Hernandez to tie the game at 2-2. That sent the game into overtime and just two minutes in, Miola sent an injury-depleted Spartans squad into euphoria.

"The boys work hard, they will never quit, this group," an elated Skyline head coach Don Braman said Saturday of a team that was down five starters entering the quarterfinal matchup.

"Anytime you go down to a good team like Mariner, you have to work hard and play together and then good things may come your way. Tonight, the hard work paid off."

The two late Skyline goals, upstaged a tremendous effort from Mariner forward Yahir Sandoval. The Marauders' star senior scored his 18th and 19th goals of the season to twice give his team the lead.

Sandoval capitalized on a much more physical Skyline squad in the 38th minute, as he sent a free kick from just above the circle over the Spartans wall and into the right corner of the net.

The goal gave Mariner a 1-0 lead into the break that seemed to energize not only the team but also the few hundred in attendance at Goddard Stadium.

However, just minutes into the second half, Skyline answered when Miola scored his first goal off a deflection from just outside the box. The game stayed knotted at 1-1 until the 57th minute, when Sandoval took a beautiful ball from midfielder Miguel Medina that cleared the Spartans backline of defense.

Sandoval ran onto the ball from about 35 yards out and drove a missle into the far post from about 20 yards out to give Mariner the lead 2-1.

For the next 20 minutes, Hernandez and the Mariner defense turned aside every decent opportunity the Spartans could muster. There were two point blank chances kicked away by Mariner defenders at the goal line, as well as two or three corner kicks and a few other desperation shots that sailed wide.

Yet, just when it looked as if the final bell would toll on Skyline's incredible season, Dodd deposited the rebound nobody expected to give the Spartans new life and Miola took advantage.

"Pedro's a hardworking midfield player and tonight he had to step up in a big way for us and for him to put an exclamation point on this game was something exciting," Braman said on Saturday.

The Spartans will face the defending state champs in Stadium of Tacoma in the state semifinals on Friday at 8 p.m. from Harry Lang Stadium in Lakewood.

"These boys really know what to do when the game is on the line," Braman added. "We're a squad that's really facing some difficult times...but we find our way through that difficulty."

Editor's note: The boys' soccer team also won on Saturday and will play in the state semfinals on Friday.