VINTON — Nothing like making it dramatic…
Camden Erhardt knocked home a goal less than two minutes into overtime to give the 10th-ranked Vinton-Shellsburg Vikettes a thrilling 4-3 win over Maquoketa Tuesday night at the Karr Complex.
With the win, Coach Megan Hesson’s Young Guns (14-2-1) will travel to Hudson Thursday night to take on the 3rd-ranked Pirates (16-2) in a 5:00 p.m. start with a trip to Ames and the Class 1A State soccer tournament on the line.
Playing in front of what might have been the biggest crowd to ever witness a high school soccer game in Vinton, the Vikettes took a 3-1 lead into the intermission on an opening goal from Erhardt and two more from freshman gunner Ava Schirm, sandwiched around a goal from Maquoketa ace Maylyn Kluever.
But midway through the second half Kluever hit on two more goals to tie the game at 3-3, sending the game into overtime.
But Camden Erhardt wanted no part of OT. The program’s second all-time leading scorer needed just 1:41 of extra time to blast the game-winner, setting of an explosion of sound from the Karr Complex pitch that was probably heard in Shellsburg.
In an emotional, but joyful huddle after the game, Hesson praised her players, but also reminded them, “We’re not done yet.”
Again, game time in Hudson is set for Thursday at 5:00 p.m. Tickets are available online on Varsity Bound.