Editors note: more photos from the game will be added shortly.

The Tyee Totems varsity soccer team clashed with the White River Hornets in a Division 2A playoff game on the evening of May 11 at Foster HS’s Werner L. Neudorf Stadium.

It took the full 80 minutes plus 10 minutes of extra time and a penalty shoot-out to decide the winner in a tight back and forth game between the squads.

First Half
Tyee came out strong, stretching the field to their outside midfielders, pulling defenders out and creating space for dangerous crosses into the Hornets’ box. Tyee had many early chances on goal and held the ball in the Hornets’ third of the field for extended periods.

When White River broke free from the pressure they showed off a potent counterattack, creating quick chances and finally capitalized in the 20th minute. Zac Morris brought down a chipped pass outside the 18-yard-box and carried it towards goal. He lofted a shot over the Totem’s keeper to the far post – one of those goals where everyone was expecting a cross and he put it on goal instead. White River goes up 1-0.

With the feeling out period ended by a goal, the game picked up with a faster pace and harder tackles coming from both sides. Tyee continued to put pressure on the Hornet’s goal, highlighted by Freddi Altamirano’s work as a right outside midfielder. His furious pace coupled with a small frame and good ball skills proved a nightmare for the Hornet’s backline. First half ends with White River up 1-0.

Second Half
It didn’t take long for the Totem’s recent standout goal scorer Zaki Mohamud to make his presence felt. In the 43rd minute Carlos Pelayo crossed the ball from the right to about the six-yard-line. A Hornet defender rose to clear the cross and ended up glancing it backwards to a waiting Mohamud at the back post. He took the ball down with his chest and poked it past the keeper. All tied up 1-1.

Tyee continued to dominate with the momentum clearly in their favor and broke the deadlock 10 minutes later when Altamirano split two Hornet defenders on the right side with a quick poke through ball to a streaking Pelayo. Pelayo carried the ball with pace towards goal and played a ground-level cross to a crashing Sadir Loukman who only had to get a boot on it to finish the play … which he did. Totems up 2-1.

After Tyee went ahead in the game the Hornets responded with frustration, committing a slew of chippy fouls eating up the clock they needed so badly. It seemed that Tyee only needed to weather the storm to advance in the tournament.

Then came the foul against Tyee, 25 yards out from their goal with 13 minutes left in the game. White River pushed most of their team into the box knowing they needed to gamble for an equalizer. The mass of humanity inside the box created a visual block for Tyee’s keeper and White River’s place kicker capitalized by putting a shot on goal, looping it over the crowded mass and just under the crossbar. Tied again at 2-2.

Mohamud put a header into the net with 8 minutes remaining, but the goal was called back for offsides.

Overtime
Tied at 2-2, the game moved into two five-minute overtime periods. The best chance was Tyee’s. With a minute left in the 10 minute period Mohamud passed the ball to Pelayo in tight quarters at White River’s 18-yard-line. Pelayo managed a solid low shot on goal, but it went right into the keepers hands. And with that the game was destined for penalty shots.

White River’s Zac Morris stepped to the spot first and calmly put the ball in the net. Tyee’s Mohamud was next and pulled a low shot wide left of goal. Nobody missed from there on out but White River got the point, winning 5-4 on penalties for a final score of 3-2.