While it is usually Bettendorf versus Pleasant Valley that is looked at as the most anticipated game of the season  (one that saw PV notch the win at 3-1), it was the Bulldog’s game against Assumption that brought that dramatic energy and kept spectators on the edge of their seats.

After a scoreless, and fairly even first half, Bulldog Junior Tori Rivera hit a shot from the top of the goal box that found the bottom corner to give Bettendorf a 1-0 lead. 

Just minutes later it was Anna Weiman for the Lady Knights burying a shot off of a cross from Maddi Tolle to level the game at one goal a piece.

It wasn’t until the 57th minute of the match where Bulldog junior, Emma Anderson, scored a goal off a pass from sophomore, Carson Bohonek.

Bohonek took the ball and dribbled through three defenders and found Anderson on the back post. 

“Carson’s super fast, so the defense kind of shifts over to her when she gets the ball. I knew a bunch of the defense would go over to her so I went to the back post and Carson played me a perfect ball,” said Anderson.

The goal seemed to shift the momentum back to the Bulldogs, as they dominated time of possession for the remainder of the game. 

Then things got a little crazy.

With 12 seconds remaining in the second half, Assumption’s Dru Dorsey was fouled inside of the box, awarding them a penalty kick.

  Senior Lyvia Hulsbrink stepped up to the spot and hit a shot in the upper left corner, but the kick was waved off due to an Assumption player crashing the box before the kick was taken, and Bettendorf seemed to get away with a 2-1 victory.

After the final whistle there was a 20-minute long discussion between the two head coaches and the officials about whether the kick should have been waved off, or whether the Knights should have been given a retake.

The official rules by the IGHSAU states that if a player on the kicking team crashes too early, but the shot goes in, it is a retake.

Hulsbrink replicated her first shot and scored to tie it up at 2 goals a side.

“During the long discussion we were trying to rest and focus on what needed to happen to secure a win,” said Anderson.

The dying seconds of regulation expired and the game was headed to overtime. 

“Everyone was kind of angry about the whole situation before overtime, so we knew this was going to help us get the win no matter what,” said Anderson.

Overtime was a fairly even match, however, Anderson did appear to have a chance at goal that was an identical build up as her goal before, but Knight’s goalie Maddy Nigey came up with the save. 

After two scoreless periods, the game went into penalty kicks.

With the Bulldogs up 2-1 on kicks, it was freshman keeper Riley Sweetland and Hulsbrink matched up for the third time of the game.

This time it was Sweetland who came up with the stop.

“I could kind of read where she was going, most girls look where they’re going to shoot, so I went to my right,” said Sweetland.

After Sweetland’s second PK save, senior Olivia Wiley netted the final blow and the Bulldogs came out victorious 3-2.