Joliet Central vs. Lincoln-Way West wasn’t a typical five seed versus a 12 seed. Don’t believe it? Ask Lincoln-Way West senior Nick Vicario.

“We shouldn’t be the 12 seed,” he said. “That’s all I’ll say.”

The game was tied at the end of regulation and still tied after two overtimes. Heck, it was still tied after both teams had used their first five players in PKs. It wasn’t until Joliet Central’s Miguel Guzman’s PK went off the left bar and Vicario stepped up to take his attempt that the game finally ended. Vicario kicked it to the right, and hit the back of the net.

Game: Warriors, 1-1 with a 5-4 advantage in PKs.

Vicario’s first words after the game weren’t about seeding nor were they even about his mindset in the moment of the kick. They were words of praise for his keeper, sophomore Zack Szubryt.

“Our goalie stepped up big for us,” Vicario said. “The reason we won is because of him. He stepped up big time.

Both teams made their first three PKs before Marcel Lepionka’s kick went off the cross bar to open the door for Joliet Central. Josue Chavez’s attempt was blocked by Szubryt, however, to keep the Warriors in the game. Ryan Saysongkham sunk his ensuing PK to keep the game going.

The second group of five started with Javier Barrios of Joliet Central, who was unable to convert his attempt. Cohen Cox nearly ended the game there but a marvelous save by Chris Torres kept the Steelmen alive for another round.

Guzman’s miss and Vicario’s make gave the game its final result.

Lincoln-Way West (7-9-1) had three games go into PKs during the regular season, winning two of them. One of them was against Sandburg, who the Warriors play in the regional final.

Coach Matt Laude believes that experience in close games was the key factor.

“The fact that we’ve been in this situation three times (was big for us),” coach Matt Laude said. “Our goalie is phenomenal in pens and I have significant confidence in him. I think the difference was experience. We were calm and even though we (missed) a couple there we were in a familiar situation. That was it.”

That, and the fact that Lincoln-Way West practices with their second group of five as much as their first group.

“Every day we train both of our lines,” Laude said. “We heckle, we yell at them and prepare them for these moments as best as we can. That second group is just as magic as the first group. Vicario is a senior leader who knew this was the moment for him and he buried it.”

Ricardo Camacho, Alexis Guzman, Sergio Mendoza and Jayden Lopez made the Steelmen’s first four PKs while the Warriors first three makes were by Will Jirek, Adrian Ontiveros and Karter Kelderhouse.

Ontiveros had given the Warriors a lead in the ninth minute and the game was 1-0 until early in the second half. With just under half an hour to play in regulation, Camacho scored on a free kick to even the score. It remained 1-1 with both teams giving it their all until the final moments.

Joliet Central (10-13) is just three years removed from an 0-20-1 season. This senior group were freshmen for that team. To say they’ve come a long way since then would be a disservice to the work they put in to reach this point. Coach Ulises Orrielas praised his group for that effort they gave.

“I think at the end of the day this team always gave 100%,” Orrielas said. “This group of seniors knew there was something at Joliet Central. They stuck through and we were a fifth seed this season because of the work that they did. We played a semifinal directly and we as coaches see that. The seniors did a great job and we’re really proud of them.”

Lincoln-Way West will play Sandburg at 5 p.m. at Joliet Central.