Tuesday’s Class 5A opening-round playoff game between Abraham Lincoln and Mountain Vista had a little bit of everything.
There was rain, darkness, shots cleared off the line by defenders and ultimately an 11-round penalty shootout.
The home-standing Lancers eventually prevailed in the dark 7-6 on penalty kicks after 110 minutes of scoreless soccer was not enough to settle it.
“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” Lincoln coach David Campos said. “Mountain Vista is a very good team.”
The reward for the No. 11 seed Lancers (13-3-0) — other than several cups of hot chocolate — is another home playoff game Thursday against No. 27 Legacy, which upset No. 6 Arapahoe on Tuesday night.
Mountain Vista, seeded 22nd, finished the season 7-4-4.
On a night that had hero after hero for both sides, it was Lincoln goalie Angel Mendez who ultimately deserved most of the glory. In the first round of penalty kicks, and with the Golden Eagles up 2-1, Mendez turned away Andrew Norman. And after Lincoln’s Sergio Martinez knotted it at 2-2, Mendez made a sprawling kick save on Matt Cortes.
“I was just thinking, you’ve done this before and it’s just another shot,” said Mendez, who was swarmed by teammates and the student body that stuck around in the pouring rain. “It’s all about mental strength and trusting your instincts.”
Not to be outdone, Golden Eagles keeper Christian Nicolosi was equally as brilliant. The senior turned away two of the first three he saw and forced the fourth to go high.
Ultimately, in the 11th round, Dehrian Ramirez, who in the second half of regulation cleared a Mountain Vista goal off the line, connected on his second PK and put all the pressure on Mountain Vista’s Graham Smith, who was turned away by Mendez.
“Nico (Nicolosi) was obviously the player of the game,” Mountain Vista coach Theresa Echtermeyer said. “We just got a little unlucky, and we had a few better chances than they did.”
Jon E. Yunt: 303-954-1354 or jyunt@denverpost.com
Mountain Vista 0 0 0 0 — 0 (6)
Abraham Lincoln 0 0 0 0 — 0 (7)
Goals — None.
Shootout goals — MV: Smith, Richards, Patrick, Patsy, Balmori, Stewart; AL: D. Ramirez 2, Martinez, J.A. Jimenez, Vasquez, Lozano, Saenz.
Shots on goals — Vista 3-4-1-1 — 9; Lincoln 1-4-0-0 — 5. Saves — Vista (Nicolosi) 1-4-0-0 — 5; Mendez 3-3-1-1 — 8. Corner kicks — Vista 1-2-1-1 — 5; Lincoln 1-1-0-0 — 2. Fouls — Vista 3-5-4-4 — 16; Lincoln 2-5-3-4 — 14.
