Heisinger’s late OT goal lifts Peters Township over Canon-McMillan
CANONSBURG — Sometimes it’s about just being in the right place at the right time.
Just ask Peters Township girls soccer player Sarah Heisinger.
Finding herself alone with a yawning net after collecting a rebound, Heisinger buried the game-winning goal with 1:17 left in the second overtime to lift Peters Township to a 2-1 victory over rival Canon-McMillan in a Section 2-AAAA match Monday night.
“It was a little nerve-racking,” Heisinger said. “You just have to keep your composure.”
She helped Peters Township (9-0-1, 6-0-1) keep its composure throughout the night with her first goal of the game.
Less than two minutes after Sarah Tonkavich gave Canon-McMillan (4-3, 7-3) a 1-0 lead with 19:19 left in the second half, Heisinger split a pair Big Macs defenders, used her speed to break away and scored to tie the game.
“That was huge,” said Peters Township coach Pat Vereb. “(Canon-McMillan) didn’t get to play with that momentum for more than one minute. We answered right back and were able to get the game back under control.”
The Big Macs nearly extended their winning streak to seven games when Tonkavich broke free with three minutes left in the first overtime. However, Peters Township goalkeeper Emma Sawich raised her left fist and made a save from point-blank range. She then scrambled to make another save on the rebound to extend the match deeper into the night.
In all 10 of the Indians’ games, Sawich hasn’t allowed an opponent to score more than one goal.
“There wasn’t a lot of goal-scoring opportunities from either side,” Vereb said. “You have to make your goalie make one big save to keep you in the game. She made two. You can just see her maturation and growth since she played as a freshman.”
The win ties Peters Township for first place in the section with Moon, which was idle Monday night.
“It was a hard played game,” Vereb said. “That’s one of the best teams in the WPIAL. You see the losses they have but look who they’ve lost to. No one in this section is going to go undefeated. It’s always going to be a hard-fought game.”