The Long Beach sports year that was 2012 just keeps on giving.
In this installment of The562.org’s Classics video series, we look back at Millikan boys’ soccer comeback win at Loyola in the 2012 CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinal. This teeter-totter contest saw host Loyola score twice in the first 17 minutes. Millikan came roaring back to score twice in the final 17 minutes of regulation.
After a nail-biting scoreless 20 minutes of overtime, the Rams won the penalty kick shootout and celebrated with the massive Millikan crowd that traveled from Long Beach.
“Are you kidding?” asked coach Rod Petkovic after his team celebrated. “I’ve never seen anything like that, not even close… when we went to PKs I told (the team) it’s over because we’ve been practicing PKs for three weeks… I’m stoked, and just so proud. (Loyola) won the first half, and we won the second.”
Millikan goalkeeper Steven Barrera made two stops to give his team the penalty kick shootout victory.
“I waited for the right timing,” said Barrera of his shootout strategy. “Some (keepers) guess, but (an assistant coach) told me to just do what I do, so I waited for them. I read them, then moved.”
Millikan put itself in the record books with a 7-2 win in the CIF final a week later that also gave Petkovic his 600th career victory as coach.