The Hays High girls soccer team took third place at the McPherson Invitational last week.
Two of the games ended in stunning fashion as the girls won them in penalty kicks.
In the first round of the Invitational Hays played Salina South, in which it won on penalty kicks, 3-2.
The game went to penalty kicks after regulation and two five-minute overtimes ended in a 0-0 draw.
In the semifinals, Hays played McPherson. McPherson won the game 1-0 on a goal in the 56th minute.
For the third place game Hays played Maize South to penalty kicks again after playing to a 0-0 draw through regulation and two five-minute overtimes.
Hays won on penalty kicks 2-1, when sophomore Shelby Dinkel made her penalty in the 6th round and senior Karassa Prochaska stopped Maize South’s attempt, to claim third place.
“I thought the team played extremely hard in every game and the girls made improvements in every game,” soccer coach Chris Michaelis said.
So far this season the girls team has allowed one goal in four games.
“The only goal scored on us I believe was caused by a defensive miscommunication and as the season goes on we will get better about having fewer and fewer miscommunications,” Dinkel said.
Hays has also scored six goals this season, all of which came in the first game of the season against TMP.
“I’m looking forward to watching the 2011 team grow,” Dinkel said. “Already after just four games there has been a huge improvement overall.”
The next game for Hays High is Tuesday, April 5 at Dodge City.