By Jack Mathews
Executive Sports Editor
After winning games in overtime, penalty kicks, and with only ten players, not many scenarios can surprise the Knights anymore.  But the Knights faced a new first in their sectional game against conference rival Buffalo Grove when they found themselves down 2-0 in the first eight minutes of the game Tuesday night at Palatine High School. The Knights were able to get back into their comfort zone however, as they won the game in penalty kicks yet again after tying the score in the second half and playing through four scoreless overtimes.
The Knights got off to a slow start and were kept scoreless by the Bison for the whole first half, but after an emotional talk at halftime the Knights came out a different team in the second half.  Senior All State forward Bill Cooney put the Knights on the board early in the second half with a 30 yard strike and later played a great ball to Richard Lenke to tie the game at 2-2.
“[At halftime] the coaches talked to us and everyone realized ‘this is it’ and we decided we were not about to lose to a team in the conference that we are the champions of,” said senior all conference midfielder Alex Schnepf.
Even though the Knights made a couple strategic adjustments for the second half according to head coach Kurt Trenkle the biggest difference was their crisper passing and hard work.
“[In the second half] we really put more pressure on [BG] to make mistakes,” said Trenkle.
From that point on Knight’s goalie Brad Reibel carried the team by stopping every shot in the second half along with four overtimes and later saving two penalty kicks.  Junior Matt Wruskyj made the game winning penalty kick for the Knights and Cooney, Lenke and Matt Burikas were also able to use their experience (Knights have won 3 of last 4 games in penalty kicks) to make their shots.
“I think our experience helped us all but at the end of the day it was Brad’s [experience] that mattered most,” said Schenpf who also attempted a penalty kick.
The Knights now look forward to their sectional game against Fremd on Friday night At Palatine.  Earlier this season Prospect scored four goals in 20 minutes in their game against the Vikings and pulled away with a 4-0 victory.  But even though they beat Fremd with no trouble in their first meeting the Knights are not overconfident.
“If anything [the first game] makes me nervous,” said Trenkle “I think we may have woke them up because since we beat them they have been on a tear.  I think it will be a bear of a battle”
Check back soon for a recap of the Sectional Final where the Knights ended their playoff run with a 0-4 loss.