How quickly fortunes can change.
An own goal benefitting Orono with just 2:36 remaining in regulation time leveled the score of a competitive match between two Class 1A top-10 ranked teams, and it set Breck on a path less desirable than the one envisioned just moments earlier.
In the late stages of a game Thursday night in Orono, the Mustangs' prospects went from win, to tie, to a 2-1 loss, while the Spartans simply never stopped working. Perhaps Breck felt like it let one get away…while Orono believe it earned this one.
"We're playing a great brand of soccer right now," Spartans coach Derek Engler said afterward. "To beat Breck is great, and how we did it…it's going to give our program a lot of energy going into the playoffs."
Spectators were treated to an entertaining match that saw both sides stretch the field and employ a direct, vertical style of play.
The Mustangs struck first when Garrett Opperman scored at 20:13 to establish an early lead that nearly stood up to significant and heavy scoring chances at both ends.
Then, with just over two and a half minutes remaining, Orono's pressure forced a breakdown in front of the Breck goal and the ball at last found the back of the net for the Spartans.
Orono sophomore forward Guy Mohs was front and center on the scoring play, and in hockey rules, he would have been awarded the goal as closest body. Instead, his disruption on the attack will have to be merit enough.
"Before me, I saw the (opportunity to) win," Mohs said. "We felt as a team that today is the day. Nobody on this team has ever beaten Breck. Today, is the day."
The own goal leveled the match and sparked overtime, where more high-stakes drama played out.
With 16 seconds remaining in the second overtime session, the Spartans tallied the second score they'd been chasing.
Orono's Ben Phelps came through with the decisive goal, pounding home a rebound off a free kick from teammate Christian Babo in a frenzied final minute to push the Spartans towards the win.
Engler says his team entered Thursday's match seeing it as a good opportunity to prepare for the section tournaments, win or lose. Perhaps it was even more beneficial, he said, for the team to find itself trailing and working through its problems to find solutions.
"We've only been behind twice before this season, so I am glad that we got to see what kind of character we have," Engler said. "We didn't get down on ourselves, we played our best soccer when we were down one goal. We played unselfishly and as a team."
The win over Breck is the first for Engler, who is in his fourth season as head coach of the Spartans.
With the win, Orono improves its record to 15-1-0 on the season, while Breck drops to 8-3-4. Breck wraps up the regular season at home on Saturday against Maple Grove (6-4-3).
