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Net result: South wins Photo by Drew Fleming Penalty kicks decide intracity rivalry for third straight year as the Panthers garner the SOC's No. 2 seed By TIM PYLE Leaves drop, the wind blows and the North and South Medford boys soccer teams need penalty kicks to decide a winner. The list of annual fall occurrences grows bigger. For the third straight year, the Panthers and Black Tornado played to a draw through 100 minutes of action - this time, 0-0 at Hoffbuhr Field in Tuesday's regular season-concluding epic. For the second consecutive fall, South Medford won the shootout on Daniel Potter's clinching shot. The junior defensive midfielder, son of Panthers coach Dave Potter, calmly converted into the side-netting to his right to give South a 4-3 shootout victory and, more importantly, second place in the Southern Oregon Conference. "It's a team win; we all stuck in there together the whole way," the younger Potter said. "I just went up there and visualized the shot, and it was in. I was focused." The Panthers (11-2-1 overall, 6-1 SOC), who would have fallen into a three-way tie for second with a loss, forcing tiebreaking measures, open the Class 4A state playoffs on the road Nov. 3 at the Three Rivers League's No. 2 seed. North Medford (7-4-2, 4-3 SOC) must play a subtournament match to advance to state. The Tornado will be home next Tuesday against the No. 4 seed of the Midwestern League for the right to travel to Valley League No. 1 in the first round on Nov. 3. "If we were to lose this game, it was questionable if we'd even go to state," said South senior right fullback Cody George, who played despite a sprained left ankle. "It was a must-win, and we were able to pull it off." In a battle that included 36 fouls and three yellow cards, the Tornado nearly took a 1-0 lead inside the opening minute. After a Panthers foul near midfield, North senior sweeper Ben Clark chipped the free kick toward the top of the penalty box, where the ball bounced off a deluge of players and to Tornado sophomore right midfielder Ian Norgan, all alone on the right. Norgan dribbled toward the goal and beat Blake St. Onge to the South senior goalkeeper's left. But George, bad ankle and all, came sliding out of nowhere to clear the ball off the goal line. "Pretty much, that's the game," North coach Rich Garcia said. "You've got to put those things away." Later in the first half, George again implemented a saving slide tackle, this time to deny Tornado senior forward Evan McArthur at the near post after McArthur had dribbled around two Panthers defenders. "Two days ago, Cody couldn't walk," Dave Potter said of one of his four senior captains. "I was there today when Cody ran on his ankle by the trainer's room, and I couldn't believe that he could run on it. And he came out here and was a total-impact player." The Panthers' best scoring chance of the first half was senior forward Pat Lower's rebound volley that was corralled by North sophomore goalkeeper David Oliver, diving to his left. Midway through the second half, South junior right midfielder Jon Klenke missed breaking the scoreless tie by mere inches, heading a cross from Lower just wide of the left post. Oliver made a superb save late in the half, going up and extending to the left corner of his goal to knock away Panthers junior central midfielder Ryan Wallenberg's header off a Klenke cross. "If anybody played well on both sides of the field, it was David Oliver," said Garcia, whose goalkeeper made four saves and intercepted a bevy of crosses and through passes. "He had a fantastic game." In overtime, South junior central midfielder Daniel Hathaway put on a show, firing three shots and using nifty dribbling to nearly set up a fourth. Unfortunately for the Panthers, none of the opportunities were finished. So it was on to penalty kicks, and an overflow crowd crept out of the bleachers and onto the field to get a better view. Tornado senior central midfielder Dan Torrey started the shootout by firing off the left post and in. South senior left midfielder Jon McCollum followed with a conversion to the left side. North senior midfielder Nate Gross' shot bounced off the crossbar, and Panthers sophomore sweeper Spencer Hunter made it 2-1, South, by beating Oliver to the right. Up came McArthur, and his shot was saved by St. Onge inside the right post. But the referee ruled that St. Onge had moved forward before the shot and gave McArthur another try, which he nestled into the right side-netting. South junior midfielder David Lane converted to the upper left, making it 3-2, Panthers. Next, Tornado sophomore left fullback Richard Snapp fired to the left, but St. Onge dove to deny. With a chance to end the match, Hathaway pushed his PK well high. North senior midfielder Michael Watson stepped up and tied it at 3-all by blasting to the right. Potter, in the same spot as a season ago, used the inside of his right foot to find the right side-netting, and South's celebration was under way. "We practiced (penalty kicks) last night, and it paid off," said St. Onge, a first-year starter who estimated his last shootout experience to be in eighth grade. "It was very exciting. ... I was smiling the whole time." The Panthers outshot their rivals, 13-6, and committed 22 fouls to the Tornado's 14. North had an 8-3 edge in corner kicks. Amid the glory of their victory, Lower and McCollum - South captains along with George and senior left fullback Adam Walport - were sure to credit their intracity rivals for another memorable match. "We just want to thank North for four great years of rivalry and competition," said Lower, one of six Panthers seniors who have played Rogue Valley Soccer Club ball with many of the 13 Tornado seniors through the years. Reach reporter Tim Pyle at 776-4483 or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.