Rather than bunkering down defensively in the second overtime period, Muncy’s players kept pressing and trying to get a goal to fall.

Time was ticking away and with less than 3 minutes remaining, it seemed a shootout was all but inevitable.

But Muncy rather was going to end it, and did so in exciting fashion.

Ava Eyer got a throw in, Ella Nagel headed it over and Kiki Woodward buried the shot. That trio came up big on one play and gave Muncy the biggest win in program history as Muncy defeated Schuylkill Haven in double overtime, 2-1, on Saturday at Central Columbia to advance to the PIAA Class A semifinals and be one of the final four teams standing in Pennsylvania.

Muncy celebrate their win against Schuylkill Haven with her team mates at Central Columbia High School Saturday afternoon. Muncy won 2-1 in double overtime. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

“It’s great to be the first girls (team) to do this in the whole program, it’s really amazing and a great opportunity,” Woodward said.

“Pure joy, we really wanted that and we just kept going and pushing even when we were down,” Muncy’s Lexi McKeta added. “We kept pushing.”

As soon as Muncy scored the game-winner, the celebration by its players was on as the Muncy fans who traveled to Central Columbia on Saturday afternoon got loud.

“I’m so happy for all of us, especially with this group of girls,” Muncy keeper Eva Nagel added.

Eyer took the throw in near the 20 on the left side of the field away from the benches and got it inside of the 18 to Ella Nagel. The senior headed it and it went right to Woodward inside the 6-yard box who sent it to the near-right post past Schuylkill Haven keeper Allyson Becker for the dramatic victory in double overtime.

Kiki Woodward of Muncy celebrates her game winning goal against Schuylkill Haven with her team mates at Central Columbia High School Saturday afternoon. Muncy won 2-1 in double overtime. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

“There’s no way this (win) has processed yet,” Muncy coach Jason Gresh said with a laugh. “We made some substitutions so we made sure we had that (for penalty kicks). The rest is history, you saw it. A great throw by Ava putting pressure on, good flick by Ella to Kiki’s foot. … All three involved in that final play to get us there.”

Muncy knew the Hurricanes would be a tough opponent and it showed on Saturday. Schuylkill Haven took a 1-0 lead less than two minutes into the game when Kylie Siket got the ball down the near side of the 18 and sent a high shot that hit off the fingertips of Eva Nagel and rolled into the far post to put the Hurricanes up early.

Schuylkill Haven played well defensively the remainder of the first half and didn’t let Muncy get many dangerous shots off in the first 40 minutes.

“We played a little defensively, you could see it a little bit after that first goal. We just had to get to halftime, have a talk and then make a couple adjustments and the adjustments obviously paid off,” Gresh said.

Muncy was more aggressive in the second half with the season on the line and rifled seven second-half shots, five of which were on frame. And of those five, three came from the foot of defender Lexi McKeta. The Muncy senior was moved up by Gresh to try to help spark the offense instead of playing on the back line and McKeta struck with the biggest goal of her career.

Kiki Woodward of Muncy leads the fast break and takes a shot on goal against Schuylkill Haven at Central Columbia High School Saturday afternoon. Muncy won 2-1 in double overtime. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

With a loose ball rolling around, Ella Nagel got it and sent a pass to McKeta outside of the 18. And from 20 yards out, McKeta turned and rifled a great hard shot to the right post and put in a huge game-tying goal to shift momentum and give Muncy the spark it needed.

“It’s just huge,” Gresh said. “With about 25 minutes left I switched her and Emma (McCormick) back and pushed her forward. I got on her that we need one, so you gotta go forward, you can’t just play defense. And you saw the result.”

“It hit off Ava and Ella saw me coming across and I just put it in there,” McKeta said. “That’s when we picked up our intensity and they were really tired. So we just kept pushing and pushing.”

It was the spark the Indians needed and they finally broke through. Muncy had a number of great throughball attempts, but any time someone sent a ball to Woodward or Eyer up top, Schuylkill Haven’s back line was right there to prevent an easy shot attempt and keeper Becker often found herself being able to chase down the ball before someone was able to get their foot on the ball for a shot.

McKeta had a great chance in the first half to score when she fired a shot 20 yards out on a free kick that she sent to the upper-right 90, but it sailed just wide on a good attempt.

Eva Nagel of Muncy makes one of her 20 saves in goal against Schuylkill Haven at Central Columbia High School Saturday afternoon. Muncy won 2-1 in double overtime. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

With 25:15 left in the second half trailing a goal, Ella Nagel fed a ball to Woodward at the 18, and Woodward got her head on it, but Becker made a great jumping block to prevent a goal and kept it 1-0. With 16:05, Eyer had a chance on a 1-v-1 opportunity into the 18, but her chip shot went just high.

Schuylkill Haven nearly put the game away with 1:40 to play in the first overtime period when Siket got a breakaway and had a 1-v-1 look with Eva Nagel, but a late whistle negated it on an offsides call.

Two minutes into the second overtime period, Ella Nagel got a throughball into Woodward who had a 1-v-1 chance with Becker, but Becker again grabbed it before a shot attempt could happen.

Schuylkill Haven’s Taylor Haag took a shot at the 18 high with 11:28 in the second overtime period remaining, but her shot hit off the crossbar before deflecting upwards and hit off the football upright. It was the last great chace for Schuylkill Haven to score.

Schuylkill Haven ended the game with 18 shots on goal and Eva Nagel came up clutch in goal. The sophomore keeper recorded a career-high 17 saves and made numerous athletic stops to keep Muncy in the game and not let the Hurricanes put in a second-goal dagger.

Rosie Zalonis of Muncy gets an elbow to the face by Lilly McDonald of Schuylkill Haven at Central Columbia High School Saturday afternoon. Muncy won 2-1 in double overtime. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

“I definitely was nervous going into the game, especially after that first goal,” Eva Nagel said. “Lexi talked me up and made me feel better. I felt great saving the ball to keep us in it.”

“She absolutely stood on her head in the second half. I don’t know how much time was left, but they had a breakaway and she makes a knee save, gets back up and they have another rocket and she gets to that. That’s what you’re asking for, right?” Gresh said of his keeper. “She gave everything she had and it’s the way the whole team did. The game plan, we knew going in that our wingers were going to be as important as anything going into this and I thought Rosie (Zalonis) and Zoe (Kunkle) and Amelia (Beckman) just absolutely worked their tails off for the entire game, gave me everything they could.”

When Woodward scored the game winner, it epitomized the heart that Muncy’s players have. After trailing 1-0 for more than 70 minutes of game time and looking like their season was over, the Indians kept battling and pressing and broke through with McKeta’s game-tying shot before Woodward sealed it.

“I was about to cry, it felt amazing,” Woodward said with a laugh. “It was Ava’s throw and Ella’s header to me, it was really great.”

That goal not only felt amazing for Woodward and her teammates, but felt pretty amazing for the Muncy community in attendance as well as it secured the first-ever state semifinal trip for Muncy.

Muncy 2, Schuylkill Haven 1 (2 OT)

(PIAA CLASS A QUARTERFINALS)

SH–Kylie Siket, 38:23. M–Lexi McKeta (Ella Nagel), 3:53. M–Kiki Woodward (Nagel), 2:35.

Shots: M 13, SH 18. Corners: M 2, SH 5. Saves: M 17 (Eva Nagel), SH 11 (Allyson Becker).

Records: Schuylkill Haven (17-6-1), Muncy (20-2-1). Next game: Muncy vs. Faith Christian, Tuesday, TBD.

Alexis McKeta of Muncy celebrates her game tying goal against Schuylkill Haven at Central Columbia High School Saturday afternoon. Muncy won 2-1 in double overtime. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Alexis McKeta of Muncy celebrates her game tying goal against Schuylkill Haven at Central Columbia High School Saturday afternoon. Muncy won 2-1 in double overtime. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Alexis McKeta of Muncy scores the game tying goal against Schuylkill Haven at Central Columbia High School Saturday afternoon. Muncy won 2-1 in double overtime. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Ava Eyer of Muncy takes a shot on goal as she’s guarded by Bella Murphy of Schuylkill Haven at Central Columbia High School Saturday afternoon. Muncy won 2-1 in double overtime. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Ava Eyer of Muncy and Bella Murphy of Schuylkill Haven race after a ball at Central Columbia High School Saturday afternoon. Muncy won 2-1 in double overtime. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Kiki Woodward of Muncy and Lilly Donald of Schuylkill Haven race after a loose ball at Central Columbia High School Saturday afternoon. Muncy won 2-1 in double overtime. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Ava Eyer of Muncy tries to head the ball into the net as she’s defended by Bella Murphy of Schuylkill Haven at Central Columbia High School Saturday afternoon. Muncy won 2-1 in double overtime. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Eva Nagel of Muncy makes one of her 20 saves in goal against Schuylkill Haven at Central Columbia High School Saturday afternoon. Muncy won 2-1 in double overtime. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Eva Nagel of Muncy keeps an eye on the action as she plays Schuylkill Haven at Central Columbia High School Saturday afternoon. Muncy won 2-1 in double overtime. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Ella Nagel of Muncy and Mckenna Runkle of Schuylkill Haven jump for a ball in the air at Central Columbia High School Saturday afternoon. Muncy won 2-1 in double overtime. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Ava Eyer of Muncy and Bella Murphy of Schuylkill Haven collide as they race after a ball at Central Columbia High School Saturday afternoon. Muncy won 2-1 in double overtime. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette