BOTKINS — Botkins stormed back to force overtime in a Division III sectional semifinal on Thursday, but Miami East scored a goal less than a minute into overtime to earn a 3-2 victory.
The No. 6 seed Trojans, which won the Western Ohio Soccer League title for the fourth year in a row this season, finished 13-2-1 overall. They beat No. 9 Miami East 2-1 in a season opener on Aug. 18 in Casstown.
Botkins scored with 4:13 left in regulation on a kick from Cody Meyer. Meyer sent a pass to Zane Paul, who tried to head it into the goal. Paul missed making contact with the ball, but it fell to the ground and slowly rolled by Miami East’s goalie to tie it 2-2.
The Trojans couldn’t keep the momentum in overtime, as Miami East’s Logan McEldowney scored on a hard kick from the left side that went into back right side of the net with 14:13 left.
Neither team scored early, but the last 15 minutes of the first half were full of action.
Jakob Brunke scored a goal with 14:02 left to put the Vikings up 1-0, but Meyer made a penalty kick less than three minutes later to tie it. Wesley Sutherly scored a goal on an assist from Conner Wilson with 4:37 left to put Miami East up 2-1 heading into halftime. The Trojans unofficially outshot the Vikings 8-7 in the first half.
Botkins had a few close misses in the second half, including one that hit the top crossbar.
Meyer, a senior, is one of four Botkins players who were named first team all-WOSL. Sophomore Denton Homan, sophomore Zane Paul and sophomore Nathan Schneider also earned first team honors. Sophomore Zack Ware and junior Andrew Monnin were named second team.
The Vikings advance to play the winner of No. 7 Greenview vs. No. 10 Bethel in a sectional final on Monday in Greenville.
