The dreaded penalty kick solution was only three minutes away when Max Brenner scored the goal that advanced Pinecrest to the third round of the 4A state soccer playoffs Saturday night.

Pinecrest and Wilmington Hoggard had already gone through two 10 minute overtimes and were in the second of two five minute sudden death periods when the end came suddenly.

Left back Barrett Goulden got the scoring sequence started with a long ball that Allan Yongo flicked forward. Brenner ran on to it and powered the ball into the net from inside the Viking penalty box, giving the Patriots a 2-1 victory.

The Patriots, now 15-4-1, will travel to Terry Sanford, 18-4-1, for a third round match, probably on Tuesday. The Patriots defeated the Bulldogs 2-0 at home in their first match of the season.

All of the other scoring in Saturday night's match came early. In the 10th minute, the Patriots' Aaron Stroker crossed a ball from the right that went across the Viking penalty box. Teammate Gray Anderson headed it back into the goal mouth where Ryan Osterman finished it for a 1-0 Patriot lead.

Just three minutes later, the Vikings' Ted Hardeen pounced on a loose ball in front of the Patriot goal and scored the equalizer.

The Patriots outshot and out-possessed the visitors by a wide margin. But it still took several outstanding saves by goalkeeper Lewis Cable to keep the match even before the late heroics by Yongo and Brenner.

Hoggard ends its season with a record of 11-9-3.