Hammond's Patrick Hutchison celebrates his goal in the 29th minute. The Pinewood Prep Panthers got a goal at Hammond with about a minute left in the match to eliminate the Skyhawks from the SCISA Region 3A playoffs Thursday, May 7. The win advanced the Panthers to the championship match against Cardinal Newman at Porter- Gaud in Charleston Saturday, May 9.

The Skyhawks handed the five- time defending champs their first SCISA loss in six years earlier this year and pushed the Panthers to the brink of elimination, but it was not to be.

The match was very physical from the outset as Pinewood Prep's Nick Zuvia earned a yellow card in the eighth minute for pulling Braeden Troyer to the ground. Sixteen minutes later, Hammond's Matthew McClam got his first yellow card for running into Pinewood Prep goalkeeper Robert Beebe.

Neither team was able to get off a clear shot early due to the defensive nature of the contest. However, Pinewood Prep nearly struck first in the 22nd minute off a rocket shot from the top of the box by Zuvia, but Hammond goalkeeper Jack Felmly made a beautiful diving save to preserve the scoreless tie.

Pinewood Prep's Joe Sweet tries to slide tackle Hammond's Braeden Troyer. The Skyhawks came back in the 29th minute when Patrick Hutchison got the ball at the top of the box and ripped a left footer that hit Bebe in the hands but bounced into the air and into the back of the net to give Hammond a 1- 0 lead.

The Panthers then got two corner kicks striking pay dirt on the second in the 36th minute. Thomas Ferro lofted a perfect pass that found Collin Filo's head in front of the Hammond goal to tie the score at 1- 1. That's how the score stayed at the half.

In the second half, the Panthers went on the attack and the physical play continued. McClam accidentally kicked Pinewood Prep defender Taylor Katsanis in the face trying to reverse a high ball. Then, a few minutes later, Pinewood Prep's Dillion Thies ran over Troyer trying to head a ball in the Hammond box.

The Panther's attack was relentless as they outshot the Skyhawks 5- 1 in the second half, and, when McClam was forced to leave the match in the 65th minute after earning his second yellow card for a slight elbow, Hammond's offense became non- existent.

Pinewood Prep's Justin White and Hammond's Adam Jenkins both go for the header. Still the Skyhawks held on. Felmly made a diving save that he could not corral in the 72nd minute, then dove again to collect the loose ball off the rebound saving a sure goal. The Hammond defense denied two free kicks just outside the box with time ticking away.

Finally, with about a minute remaining, Felmly raced to collect a long Pinewood pass but slipped and deflected the ball to Pinewood's Filo. He collected the ball and passed to Thomas Ferro who punched the ball into the empty net for the game winner.