SIOUX FALLS – After watching a two-goal lead dissolve in the final minutes of regulation, Aberdeen Central responded in a big way.

The Golden Eagles produced the game-winning goal in the second overtime to defeat Sioux Falls Jefferson 3-2 in the quarterfinals of the Class AA boys’ soccer playoffs on Saturday afternoon.

“For those guys to withstand it and come back and lay it out in overtime, and get a winning goal, I was amazed,” said Central coach Lance Mohr. “I was numb when I got done.”

Central’s ability to respond to adversity is nothing new, but it’s even more meaningful to come in the biggest game of the season.

“They can get hit, be in an 8-count with a boxing match, laying on the mat and they’ll pop back up and come out swinging again. You have no idea where it comes from, but they are as mentally resilient of a team as I’ve ever been a part of,” Mohr said. “They find a way to fight through. We’ve got some guys on this team with state leadership roles, and they just bounced back and weathered the storm and came back and kept swinging.”

Bryson Burgard scored the game’s first goal on a header, before Derek Arunasalam put the Golden Eagles up 2-0. Central still owned a two-goal advantage until Jefferson scored twice in about five minutes late in regulation to knot the score.

“We got punished twice in a row for a couple mistakes that we made and they had the momentum on their side,” Mohr said.

After a scoreless first 10-minute overtime, it appeared the game might be headed to shootout before Burgard took a corner kick from Tyler Bain and put in the back of the net to seal the victory.

“We were prepping penality lineups thinking we were going to go to a shootout,” Mohr said.

Instead, the Golden Eagles are going to go back to the semifinal round of the playoffs. Central plays at Sioux Falls Lincoln on Tuesday.

“We’ve seen them this year which is great,” Mohr said. “I’m so glad that were able to play them earlier this year, so there’s no surprises. We know what we’re going to get.”

Central, 11-2-3 on the season, lost to Lincoln 1-0 late in the regular season.

The Golden Eagles are now one of the final four remaining teams in Class AA.

“I told them that they just needed to prove it,” Mohr said of being included among the state’s elite. “They need to earn the respect to be viewed as that, because we had some poor results. … They bought in and we completely turned the corner here the back half of September.”

As a result, the Golden Eagles are once again back in the semifinal round of the playoffs.

“It’s a big win. We’re just so glad to be back in the semifinals,” Mohr said. “That’s where we want to be and I’m so proud that these guys got there.”