IT JUST MEANS MORE: SOTRA SCORES WINNER IN OT TO SEND COBRAS TO SWEET SIXTEEN

Hartsville, SC - In this stunning 3-2 OT victory, you couldn't write the storyline any better. In the wake of tragedy for the Sotra family, Nikola Sotra slotted home the game-winner to advance the Cobras into the Sweet Sixteen.

On Tuesday, Sotra received the news of the passing of his grandmother and has been dealing with heartbreak and tragedy throughout this entire week of preparation. He wanted to do something to honor her in this game, so he wore a shirt underneath his kit that read "Rest well grandma, I love you forever". He wanted her to be as close to his heart as possible throughout the entirety of this contest.

This game started off with heavy pressure by the Warhawks of Auburn-Montgomery, but it was the Cobras who slid into the scoring column first. In the 15th minute, Oskar Kaufmann won a free kick that Vitalis Takawira Jr. calmly slotted into the left-side netting to take a 1-0 lead.

From then on in the first half, it was all Warhawks. Their constant pressure on the Cobra back line created numerous chances that materialized in two first-half goals. In the 21st minute, they scored on a shot from a tough angle to tie it at 1-1, then made it 2-1 in the 34th minute after a long throw landed itself in the penalty box and was slotted home.

Down at the half, Coker was getting visions of Matthews and the heartbreak they felt after coming away with a SAC semi-final loss. The message at halftime: win by any means necessary. It doesn't have to be pretty, and it doesn't have to be "the right way", but the job needs to be done nonetheless. After the inspiring words, there was a change in pace in the second half. More chances were being created, more shots were being taken, and more defensive pressure was being applied.

All this culminated when Youri Keijser drew a foul in the penalty box which gave Matty Tricker the opportunity to tie this one up at 2-2. Tricker lined up at the spot, struck the ball, and somehow, the Warhawk keeper made a flying save to keep the lead. However, the Cobras didn't hang their heads after that missed opportunity. Just three minutes after, Jorhan Chopin ripped a shot that was saved and fell directly into the path of Kaufmann who slotted it into a wide-open net to finally tie this one up at 2-2.

After thirty more minutes of play in the second half, no one could quite separate themselves, and it was on to overtime. The Cobras were dominating opening play, creating chances left and right in the first few minutes with added pressure and intensity. Then, in the 94th minute, the storybook ending unfolded. Sotra, unchecked in the 18-yard box, struck the corner kick from Frederic Benedix that trickled in for the game-winner. In celebration, he ran to the camera, lifted his shirt, and pointed to the sky, knowing that his grandma was watching the entire game unfold.

Following the team celebration, we took a moment to catch up with Niko and get his thoughts on the game. "It was so important to win this game for [my grandma]", Sotra stated following the exciting win. "I dedicated this game and that goal to her, and I know she was watching over my team and me to see us to victory". For Sotra to be able to put aside tragedy for 90+ minutes today and get the job done was a true testament to his character. For the SAC Elite 23 winner and team captain, stuff like this is nothing new.

Now, Coker will shift its attention to the Sweet Sixteen. Following the 1-0 win by (2) Lynn over (7) West Florida, the Cobras will travel to Boca Raton, FL to take on the Knights in an away game. That contest is slated to kick off at 3:00 PM ET on Sunday, December 1st. For more information, continue to follow along with Coker Men's Soccer and Coker Athletics on our website and on all our socials (@cokercobras).