Hickory High’s boys’ soccer team defeated Statesville literally by a fingertip on Monday night.
The Red Tornadoes got a diving save from goalkeeper Julian Deutsch with less than two minutes left in the second overtime to nip visiting the Greyhounds 3-2.
With Hickory up one goal, the Red Tornadoes drew a penalty inside the box that netted Statesville’s Trent Gennusa a penalty kick from inside the box. He aimed to his left and the corner of the goal, but Deutsch stretched out and made the save off his fingertips.
“All I could think about was making the save,” Deutsch said. “I was just trying to keep myself calm and block everything else out of my mind except for the kick.”
Gennusa is known for converting, said Statesville head coach Gordon Palmer.
“That’s probably the first penalty shot that kid’s ever missed,” said Palmer. “But it’s hard to say that he just missed it because the goalie stretched out and made one heck of a save.
“He stretched out all the way to the post; it was just a great save.”
Hickory head coach Brian Jillings said that type of situation is what Deutsch lives for.
“He just thrives on those last minute opportunities to save the team,” Jillings said. “It was one of the greatest penalty kick saves I’ve seen, and it was against the best player on their team.”
Hickory (5-0-1) had a 3-2 lead with 7:50 remaining in the second overtime when Robert Liljeburg took the ball at midfield and drove downfield to find Michael Delong open inside the box. Delong scored and the Red Tornadoes were up by a goal.
The Red Tornadoes had a 2-0 advantage in the first half after Adam Betzwieser scored on a header off a corner kick by Liljeburg and Ben Underwood outraced the Statesville defense and put the ball in the net for Hickory’s other score.
Statesville (1-1-1) rallied with a goal before the half as Gennusa scored in the 37th minute to trim the lead to 2-1.
The Greyhounds tied it at 2 in the 76th minute when Gennusa had a penalty kick from outside the box. The kick was stopped with a leaping save by Deutsch, but the ball bounced directly at the feet of Matt Archbald, who booted it into the net.
Hickory outshot Statesville 17-10 and Deutsch recorded four saves.
Statesville goalkeeper Thomas Dotson had 10 saves.
“We’re just not finishing and it’s leaving teams in the game,” said Jillings. “We had plenty of opportunities to close the game out and we just can’t finish.
“I guess we are a little snake bit right now.”
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