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With just over a minute left in the second extra time period, Diego Fernandez dropped a centering pass from the corner at the feet of Tomas Pollacchi at the top of the box. Pollacchi angled his body to the side to get his foot on the ball and fired it past the Appalachian goalkeeper from 15 yards out.

The record crowd erupted after the goal, and Hickory was able to fend off the Appalachian offense for the final minute to take the win.

Head coach Carlos Rubio gave credit to everyone involved, from Fernandez and Pollacchi to the rest of the players, the assistant coaches, the fans and the ownership group for putting together a second straight conference championship season.

“What a game, right?� he said. “Everyone put everything on the table so we can celebrate with our people the championship we have.�

Hickory survived several close calls to keep the game knotted at 118 minutes. Appalachian FC kept the ball in their attacking third for the first several minutes of both halves, missing out on several scoring opportunities early in the second. The Hickory defense held strong, disrupting centering passes and shots and preserving the scoreless tie.

It was more back-and-forth late in regulation with both teams having breakaway opportunities to end things before the whistle. However, both goalkeepers held, sending the game into extra time.

Hickory turned the tables in extra time, pressuring Appalachian early. But, again, Hickory FC was unable to capitalize until the final two minutes of extra time.

Starting strong

The intensity was high early. Players from both sides pushed the tempo and refused to give an inch physically. Appalachian was able to push the ball into Hickory territory more in the early minutes. However, Maxime Wester gave Hickory the first close call of the night as a shot from the 18 sailed just over the crossbar at the eight-minute mark.

The game settled into a more manageable rhythm after that, but Wester got another shot in the 40th minute on a breakaway. He took a perfect centering pass and fired it at the net, but it bounced off the post to preserve the 0-0 tie.

The 28601

Hickory’s super fan group, the 28601, showed up en masse to watch their hometown team win its second straight conference title. More than 50 group members packed the northeast corner of Moretz Stadium. But the group’s influence was not limited to one corner.

All night, drums, horns and loud cheers resounded from the 28601 section of the stadium. Rubio said the fans made the difference in the extra time periods.

“We run out of words to describe the support that we get,� he said. “I told the guys at the start of the overtime. I said, ‘look around and see all of the people on their feet clapping for you and shouting to you.’�

Going without Jasper

Hickory FC had to go without two-year goalkeeper Jasper Rump in the conference final. Rump shipped out to Germany after being signed to SV Drochtersen/Assel in Germany last month.

In his place, Danile Benedek Miklosi held Appalachian FC at bay for 120 minutes. It was his fourth start for Hickory since Rump left.

Miklosi made a few huge saves in the game. A critical save on an Appalachian free kick from 20 yards out with time winding down in the first half preserved the tie going into the halftime break. In extra time, he had an acrobatic save to end an Appalachian FC breakaway and give Pollacchi the opportunity to finish things.

Miklosi finished the game with a clean sheet and Rubio said the big key for him was his work ethic in training all season.

“He has been working from the start,� Rubio said. “He has worked extremely hard so when the time was right for him to get in the goal, he was ready and he is doing a fantastic job.�