Notre Dame (Illinois) College Prep was on the verge of an historic win. After playing to a scoreless draw with Kent (Conn.) Prep, ranked fifth nationally by Prep School Elite Soccer Report, the teams went to penalty kicks to settle the match where Notre Dame grabbed a 4-3 advantage and stood on the precipice of victory.
One more goal. That's all Notre Dame Prep needed to close out the match and take down one of the top teams in the country. But the opportunity never came. As Notre Dame Prep was preparing to attempt the potential game-winning penalty kick, the lights went out at the stadium.
"We were scoreless after regulation and went to penalty kicks," Notre Dame coach Mike Bare told the Peoria Journal Star. "We were leading 4-3 and getting ready to take our fifth, and possibility winning PK, when the lights went out at the facility."
Yep, you read that right: The team was stonewalled by some faulty stadium lights. The two teams reportedly waited 10-15 minutes to see if something could be done to rectify the situation, but when the electrical malfunction couldn't be located, the teams decided to call the match a draw.
It was a decision that likely had Kent Prep breathing a huge sigh of relief. There's no guarantee that Notre Dame Prep would convert the kick, but considering the team never had a chance to try in the first place, we'll never have the pleasure of knowing if the Illinois school would've knocked off one of the top soccer powerhouses in the country.
While the lights going out right before the game-winning penalty kick is an unfortunate situation, it's nothing new. Just last year, the lights went out at Candlestick Park during a game between the 49ers and Steelers, but the game was eventually completed after a couple lengthy delays.
Unfortunately for the Notre Dame Prep, the team didn't have the luxury of waiting around for a couple hours, or postponing the kick and returning to the field at a later date. With Kent Prep traveling all the way from Connecticut, the only logical result was a draw.
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