By Michael Adams
Austin Sports Journal

DRIPPING SPRINGS — The Pieper Warriors waited a year for this moment.

When it came, the Warriors delivered in the most dramatic way possible.

Pieper made history Tuesday night, rallying past Cedar Park 4-2 in overtime in the Class 5A Division II Region IV final at Tiger Stadium.

Pieper (18-4-4) advances to the UIL girls soccer state semifinals for the first time in program history, avenging last year’s 1-0 regional final loss to Cedar Park.

“It’s just crazy,” Pieper forward Ella Hill said. “We were down for the longest time, and then when we got back up, we just kept playing… once we scored that goal, it really just helped us get back into the game and play as a team.”

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The back-and-forth contest featured multiple momentum swings, including a controversial late equalizer that helped send the match to overtime tied 2-2.

The Warriors struck first in the opening half when Hill connected with McKenzie Bushar at the 12:26 mark to give Pieper a 1-0 lead.

Cedar Park (19-5-2) controlled momentum early, but the Warriors dominated possession late in the half. Both teams finished the half even with three shots on goal apiece.

The Timberwolves responded in the second half with a surge, outshooting Pieper 8-3. Blake Gilkey leveled the match on a penalty kick with 26:08 remaining, then gave the Timberwolves their first lead with a goal with 4:52 left.

But the turning point came moments later.

Thirty-six seconds later, Pieper scored off a corner kick following a chaotic sequence in front of the net. After initial confusion between officials, a brief huddle resulted in the goal being upheld, tying the match 2-2.

“That was the biggest momentum shift in the game,” Pieper head coach Erik Stolhandske said.

That equalizer energized the Warriors heading into overtime.

Pieper carried that momentum into the extra period, coming out aggressive and capitalizing early. Hill struck again just 26 seconds into overtime off an assist from Skylar Carter, putting Pieper back in front 3-2.

The Warriors added insurance with 2:38 remaining when Madelyn Prince found the net, sealing the 4-2 victory.

“I think that goal at the end of the second half really just helped us finish the game,” Hill said.

Pieper outshot Cedar Park 5-2 in overtime and controlled play after reclaiming the lead.

“You know, the shift in mindset is huge,” Stolhandske said. “Every time there’s a challenge placed in front of them, they rise up to the challenge.”

That resilience defined the night for a Pieper squad that refused to fold, even when trailing late.

Now, the Warriors are headed to the state semifinals for the first time in school history where they will face Montgomery Lake Creek (16-6-2) for a chance to write another chapter in their historic season.

Box score

	1	2	OT	F
Cedar Park	0	2	0	2
Pieper	1	1	2	4

Goals: Pieper – McKenzie Bushar, Ella Hill, Madelyn Prince, team. Cedar Park – Blake Gilkey (2).