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Tuesday, it was, and though the Cotter High School senior forward said she was very nervous, it was hard to tell.
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Cotter's Sarah Spitten, left, headers the ball over Caledonia defenders Mary Ellen Schlitz, center, and Erica Myhre on Tuesday during the non-conference match in Winona. (photo by Katie Derus/Winona Daily News) |
In a tie game with just over two minutes remaining in overtime, Pecarina eyed up the penalty kick and softly tapped to the right corner for the go-ahead and eventual winning goal.
The shot itself didn’t have much mustard on it. It was accurate — right at the corner — but oh so slow.
“I just thought to myself, ‘Aim low and for the corner,’ and kind of just hoped it went in,” Pecarina said. “I was always told to just pass it in.”
So Pecarina didn’t kill the ball and Caledonia goalie Kalli Konkel’s attempt to snag it fell just short.
Cotter was awarded the penalty kick when Sammi Storsveen was clipped from behind on a breakaway.
“It was another one of those plays where they came up from behind,” Cotter coach Dan Pecarina said. “Caledonia is a physical team. Some of the plays they made were legal, other ones weren’t.”
The Warriors (0-4) were given three yellow cards and a red card.
Ahead a goal with just over two minutes to play, the lead seemed secure, but Caledonia nearly tied it up.
With 10 seconds left, the Warriors sent a cross from about 30 yards out that looked headed for the back of the net.
“It was hooking in,” coach Pecarina said. “(Goalie) Sarah Eichenberg wasn’t going to get it, but a Caledonia player headed it and it bounced just over the net.”
Cotter (4-1) went into the half with a 1-0 lead thanks to a Sarah Spiten goal on an assist from Renee Pecarina.
In the second half, the Ramblers didn’t change anything up on the field, but their mentality may have been lax.
“We should have kept going,” Renee Pecarina said. “I think we backed off a bit with the lead, but it’s not that big of a lead when you think about it.
“The whole feel shifted after they tied it up. We had to get the offense going.”
Caledonia tied the game in the 51st minute on a Kayla McCormick header off a corner kick.
“I felt comfortable with the defense,” coach Pecarina said. “We didn’t want to change things up with a whole half to play. The only thing I was worried about was their corner kicks and that’s what they scored on.”
