Feb. 29 (1976)

With just three minutes left in the second 15-minue overtime, Pete Collico puts in a pass from Chris Cacciatore to give Big Four a 3-3 tie with Stag in the Missouri Open Cup semifinals. Cacciatore and Tom Howe score in the first half to give Big Four a 2-0 lead, but Stag rallies to send the game into overtime on goals by Frank Fischer and Steve Twellman. Fischer scores again just four minutes into the first overtime, but Big Four goalkeeper Chuck Zorumski frustrates Stag the rest of the way. In the day’s other semifinal at Mullally Field, heavily favored Kutis prevails 2-1 over Pepsi in overtime on Dan Bokern’s goal. Jim Eagan opens the scoring for Pepsi four minutes into the match and Denny Bozesky brings Kutis even in the 27th minute. Kutis runs its record to 22-0. Kutis’ opponent in the Missouri Open Cup final will be Big Four, which will defeat Stag 4-2 in a replay of the semifinal on March 14. Big Four will take a 10-0-3 record into the Missouri Cup Final against Kutis on March 28. Big Four will win, 2-1, to snap a 24-game unbeaten streak by Kutis. Joe Clarke will score the winning goal in the 75th minute.