Sidewinders win in overtime thriller to advance to state semi-finals

San Luis seniors step up when sidewinders needed them most. Propel Sidewinders to next round in state boys soccer tournament.

SAN LUIS, Ariz. ( KYMA, KECY-TV ) - It's not something soccer fans see on a regular basis, the goal keeper attempting a penalty kick. It's rare for a goal keeper to attempt a penalty kick in overtime of a state playoff game. On Tuesday afternoon, that's where San Luis' Martin Sanchez found himself.

"It's not the first time," San Luis Head Coach Jesus Rojas said. "A few years ago when he was a sophomore he scored the penalty kick and saved the next kick. He has experience with those kinds of games."

I'm not going to lie, I was very nervous

San Luis senior goalie Martin Sanchez

It's an opportunity that almost never happened. San Luis took a 2-0 lead into halftime over the #8 seeded Desert Vista Thunder. In the second half, the Thunder clamored back with three straight goal to take a 3-2 lead.

"That was their strength, their height and length," Rosas said. "We practiced how to defend that. They scored even with that."

With under a minute left in regulation and San Luis deep in Desert Vista territory, The Sidewinders executed a long throw that Senior Angel Martinez put in the net to tie the score 3-3 with :50 seconds remaining in the game.

"The long throw, we've been trying that all season," Rojas said. "I was confident and it just went exactly as planned. { Erick } Quirarte with the header back, Angel { Martinez } went in and just went in and hit it in."

San Luis is no stranger to the state tournament. This year marks the 18th straight consecutive year the Sidewinders have qualified for state. A state title this eludes the program.

They're probably the best team that's never won a state title

Former San Luis Head Coach Tim Conroy

"We've been in the finals twice and the semi's twice," Former San Luis head coach Tim Conroy said. "Quarterfinals numerous times but just haven't been able to hold up the cup yet."

Conroy says San Luis was in the state championship back in 2006 and again around 2013.

In the nineteen years we've had a team, I think this year's team is the best San Luis has ever had.

- Tim Conroy

San Luis and Desert Vista battle through two scoreless 10 minute overtime periods which led to penalty kicks. After each team's first five chances, each team scored four times. The misses included San Luis' David Murillo's shot off the goal crossbar followed by a diving one handed save by goalie Martin Sanchez. With the penalty kicks tied at 6-6, Rojas called on his senior goalie for the next kick.

"Honestly, I only thought about my first five players," Rojas said. "I just chose Martin because he's done it before."

I didn't even know I was going to shoot

- Goalie Martin Sanchez

"In practice I'm always like let me take it, let me take it," Sanchez said. "Coach always says no you're our goalkeeper, no,no,no, and now he gave me the chance and I showed him that I got it."

With the fate of San Luis' season on his shoulders and the pressure being the #1 seed facing elimination at home, Sanchez knocked his shot into the net in the left corner. He then walked into the net, walked to the left post and then to the right and awaited the next kick from Desert Vista. The kick sailed over Sanchez' head and the crossbar, San Luis won 7-6 in penalty kicks in overtime to advance to the state semi-finals.

"We deserve this," Sanchez said. "We've been working so hard. We just want to prove everybody wrong. We're always getting doubted because we are such a small city. We're here to prove that we can win this."

San Luis will next play #4 seed Tuscon on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. at Campo Verde High School in the state semi-finals