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After a goal a piece in regulation and a scoreless overtime, the Baker Wildcats and MNU Pioneers trade blows in an eight-shot pk shootout which ended at the hands of Pioneer goalkeeper Anesa Curic to send MNU to the final.
Tuesday night, November 8th 2016 was a night for all of America to wait. To wait for results from the polls of every state in the nation to see who would the 45th president of the USA. In Baldwin, Kansas and on scattered computer screens around the country live streaming the game, there was a different sort of waiting game. After several attempts at passing the Baker level of the Heart of America Athletic Conference arcade game, the MNU Pioneers decided to put up their tokens for another go. There is no love lost between these two schools and previous encounters had Baker standing victorious over MNU. Even though tonight's match was yet another conference semifinal playoff between these two sides, the Pioneers were determined to leave the Wildcats' home turf with a win in hand.
Aside from bragging rights until the next meeting, an MNU victory and a Benedictine win in their respective semifinal match would ensure the Pioneers' inclusion in the forthcoming NAIA national tournament. Tonight, on election night, the MNU Pioneers were not ready for their season to be over.
From the opening whistle, Baker started strong with their aggressive brand of direct soccer placing pressure on the MNU midfield and rearguard, but for every Baker ping, the Pioneers were ready with a pong. However, the first team to break the deadlock would be Baker as a forward broke through the MNU back line and found the back of the net. At first it looked like MNU goalkeeper Anesa Curic would make the save, but she was almost two quick to the ball which struck the heal of her outstretched hand and bobbled over the line. Before the ensuing kickoff, seniors Taryn McClendon and Sarah Schmidt convened a huddle to calm the nerves and ensure their teammates that they still had the fight in them to come back.
As the first half rolled on, the Pioneers were able to absorb the continuing pressure and began to assert themselves in the midfield. Just as the tides were turning, Taryn McClendon went down with an injury as she charged through the midfield but caught her toe on the turf and tumbled headfirst into the shoulder on a Baker defender which forced McClendon out of the game.
At half time, the Pioneers found themselves a goal down and without their all-conference forward. This was a time to show their mettle and for others to step up. In the second half, Denise Dantzler turned on her jets and determinedly made runs and cuts through the midfield, giving the Baker defense a lot to think about. The MNU midfield was seeing more joy on the ball, and sophomore Hannah Benedict was to be the one to put the Pioneers on the board. In the 60th minute, it seemed as if she said to herself "I'm going to score right now" as she picked up the ball and turned to strike a dodging, dipping, diving, ducking screamer which maneuvered around the perplexed Wildcat goalkeeper and into the back of the net. Everything was now even Steven.
From that moment, when MNU would heave, Baker would ho, and when Baker went to, MNU went fro. It was a case of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object, and on this night, for every Baker action there was an equal and opposite MNU reaction. After regulation and overtime, it became clear that this match would have to be settled in the crucible of a penalty shootout.
If you were to switch on the television at this point of the game, you would be forgiven for believing yourself to be watching a rerun. Another conference semifinal between MNU and Baker, another shootout. However, the Pioneers were not into watching last years season finale. The shooters were assigned their order and after a coin toss it was to be MNU to shoot first. RaeAnne Wiltshire set the tone and smacked the back of the net. From that shot on it was tit for tat. On Baker's second shot, Curic got a glove to the ball to push it on the post, but that save was followed by an MNU miss. From that brief hiccup in continuity, shooters from both teams made their spot kicks, that is until the eighth and final markswoman for Baker. Pioneer 'keeper Anesa Curic knew that if she stopped this shot, she would send her team to the finals. The shot came in, Curic dove right, got both hands behind the ball, and punched a win for the Pioneers! Everyone wearing MNU colors in attendance from the bench to the coaches to the fans, ran toward Curic and celebrated on Baker's pitch. Tonight was a night for the Pioneers. Tonight was a night to get one over on their rivals. Tonight was a night for new achievements and new opportunities.
Now, MNU's place is secure in the national tournament, but after this victory, the Pioneers will be looking for more in the conference final against Benedictine on Friday night.
