From about 20 yards away senior Taylor Hajdasz kicked the ball to teammate Brianne Barnes.
Before Barnes could fire at the Watertown Immaculate Heart Central goal, the refs whistled the Indians were offsides.
With about 30 minutes to play, the No. 1 seed in Section Three Class C held a tenuous 2-1 lead over the No. 8 Cavaliers.
But as they had all second half Waterville kept trying to add to the lead. Julia Carter’s direct kick from the 30-yard line was shut down when the IHC goalie came out of the net - Carter’s ability to score from long range had been well scouted.
No matter. When the goalie committed to the middle of the goal, here came Hajdasz from the right, who blasted the ball in the far left corner for a 3-1 lead with 28:38 to play.
That score held up enough to advance the Indians to the next round as one of the remaining four teams seeking a sectional title. Waterville will play No. 12 seed Frankfort-Schuyler in a 7:30 p.m. game at Lowville Academy Wednesday, Oct. 30.
The Knights advanced with a 3-2 first-round win over Cooperstown and then a 2-1 win over Thousand Islands. The winner Wednesday plays at SUNY Cortland 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1 for the Section Three title.
Getting to play this week was no automatic step for the Indians, who have won 15 games and tied two without a loss this season. The burden of the unbeaten streak, carrying the No. 1 seed, seniors playing at home for the final time and the Indians playing…