Mia Peterson remembers the last time she made a penalty kick. She was a sophomore.
She used to take them regularly, but things changed quickly. She missed one kick and just like that, everything was different.
“I used to be the PK taker for my club team and this team and I missed one and then I got in my head and just lost my confidence on them,” Peterson said. “Last year, I was in the (PK) lineup and I told (head coach Kico Monares) to take me out.”
Friday night in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III semifinals against Manteca, Peterson stepped up as the last player to take a penalty kick for the No. 2 Oakdale girls soccer team. The Valley Oak League foes finished regulation and a pair of 10-minute overtime periods tied at a goal apiece. She stared at the ball positioned on the PK spot before firing a right-footed strike right down the middle of the goal. The ball squeaked under the top crossbar and found the back of the net.
“I was honestly just breathing in and out,” she said. “I haven’t made a PK in a very long time. But I knew as a captain, as a senior, I needed to step up and be one of the last people to take it.”