En route to defeating St. Paul Humboldt 4-3 in overtime Thursday night at Hopkins High School, defending Class 1A boys’ soccer champion PSA benefitted from a Hawks’ shot off the crossbar 12 minutes in and two penalty shots awarded in its favor down the stretch to earn a return trip to the Metrodome for next week’s semifinals.

 

For a Lycans team that entered the game undefeated, scored more than 10 goals four times during the regular season and hadn’t allowed a goal since Oct. 6, it was a wakeup call.

 

“I was scared for us,” junior Ismaila Jome said.

 

He had good reason.

 

Jome’s pretty pass to sophomore Mounir Darbaki set up a 2-0 lead 18:16 into the contest. Usually that means lights out for the opposition.

 

But while the Lycans relaxed, the Hawks refused to let up.

 

Goals by Myat Aye and Julian Garcia-Delaney evened the score midway through the second half before the Lycans’ first penalty kick was awarded – and converted by Adama Keita - with 10:30 to play. But Aye answered just 68 seconds later on an innocent-looking lob shot to force the extra session.

 

A superb defensive stand by Humboldt early in the sudden-death period was spoiled by a hand ball call in front of its own net with 3:06 left. That set the stage for Keita’s game-winner.

 

“I didn’t want to go to [another] overtime so I just picked my spot and went for it,” he said.