Fans walked out of the Pilot House in disappointment on Thursday night. After three hours of thrilling soccer, they watched as the Pilots conceded to the New Mexico Lobos in their first playoff game in seven years.
Neither team produced a goal in the regulation 90 minutes or the two overtime periods and the game moved to penalty kicks where the Lobos prevailed over the Pilots.
The teams went back and forth with their penalty kicks until junior midfielder Brandon Zambrano took a do or die shot that deflected off the hand of the goalie, then off the post and out of danger.
And in that split second the Pilots’ season had come to an end, even with the scoreboard still showed 0-0, the Lobos advanced on penalty kicks
The Pilot House was packed at the start of the game, and even those who didn’t know the game would be taking place turned their attention to the screen when the action started.
Fans cheered and clapped when the Pilots threatened to score, and sat on the edge of their seats when the Pilots looked to be in danger of conceding a goal.
The experience of watching a Pilots soccer playoff game was long overdue for some, including senior Villa Drum Squad captain Jacob Whitfield who was fortunate enough to see the Pilots make the playoffs in his final year as a UP student.
“It’s really exciting and it’s something that we’ve been waiting for a while for as a school,” Whitfield said of the playoff match. “It’s a bummer that they had to play on the road, but it’s cool to be here and see all of the people that are here to support them.”
The excitement and anticipation dissipated and fans in attendance at the Pilot House were restless after a first half that ended with the score tied at 0-0.
“[The Pilots] have been passing the ball really well, I think they’re just trying to get into a good rhythm with having to replace Eddie,” sophomore Will Larson said, who sat front and center for the playoff matchup. “It’s a little bit scary right now because anything could happen.”
There was a lot of moving around during the halftime break for those in the Pilot House. Some people shuffled out of the building, but many faithful supporters stuck around to cheer on the Pilots.
The second half was similar to the first as neither team was able score. In fact, the biggest cheer came when the Pilot House staff managed to improve the quality of the live stream that had been poor since half time.
The crowd suddenly came to life in the 77th minute when the Pilots saw their best chance at goal.
Rey Ortiz dribbled the ball into the box toward the right side of the goal and sent a shot over the diving New Mexico goalkeeper. The Pilot House was ready to erupt but a Lobo defender stood in perfect position in the middle of the goal and headed the ball out of bounds for a Pilots corner.
Fans in the Pilot House who had stood up to celebrate the goal were left standing, hands on their heads in disappointment.
When the first 90 minutes came to a close the score still sat at 0-0. More fans found their way out of the building at that point, but some still remained hoping to see that golden goal. One kick could send the Pilots to the next round or send them home for the season.
But that kick never came. The game would be decided by penalty kicks.
Fans stood on their feet chanting “Paul the Wall” in support of junior goalkeeper Paul Christensen before a single penalty kick was taken.
What ensued was the most exciting part of the game without a doubt. Both teams found the net on their first shot, but the Pilots followed that up with two misses and found themselves one Lobo goal away from going home. But Christensen had other ideas as he came up with two saves in a row to even the playing field.
At that point the penalty kicks moved to sudden death, the first team to convert their PK and stop the opponents’ would walk away the victor.
The teams traded successful PKs until Zambrano took his shot that was inches from finding the back of the net and extending the game. Instead, the Pilot house was stunned as they watched one of the best seasons in recent memory come to a bitter close.
Despite the disappointment this season was a promising one for the Pilots who took a complete 360-degree turn under new head coach Nick Carlin-Voigt in 2016.
“For me it’s been a lot of fun,” Whitfield said looking back on the season. “It’s a big deal for the school as well. The way they’ve turned it around really says a lot about the coaches and the players.”
This season has created optimism about the soccer program, something that has been missing in recent years. The Pilots won’t be a part of the second round of the playoffs this year, but with the way this season went, it’s safe to say that we won’t be waiting another nine years to watch the next Pilots playoff game.
