Some of you may remember when Ava Kopicko headed in a corner kick in the final minute for Nashua High School South in the Battle of the Bridge vs. arch rival Nashua North.

Of course the Panthers and their fans celebrated the 1-0 win, but if you were a neutral observer, you likely celebrated, too.

Why?

Because the game didn’t end in a tie.

It was the nightcap of a North-South soccer twinbill, and the first game of the day ended North boys 1,South boys 1. To have the rivalry matchups both end up deadlocked? Ugh.

A week earlier, when it was still warm and toasty outside, the South boys battled Merrimack, rallying for a 1-1 tie in a fantastic game that both teams had a chance to win in the final five minutes. Truth be told, we were waiting for overtime, and were stunned when the teams went into their respective post game huddles.

Oops. We didn’t get the memo that there was no more regular season overtime in New Hampshire high school soccer. It used to be two 10 minute periods, if needed. Next goal wins, so often it wouldn’t get to the second 10.

But the soccer coaches in a survey sent out last spring nixed the OT. And now they’e looking at standings logjams and slow walks off a field with the final 0-0, like the BG girls vs. Timberlane last Monday. Or the Milford-Hollis Brookline boys did a couple of weeks ago on a Saturday morning.

What’s worse than a tie? A scoreless one, that’s what. Bleh.

Soccer is a sport that, let’s face it, lends itself to ties because scoring isn’t easy. Half of the overtimes that would have been played this fall would probably have left the game tied. But a good bet is half, or at least a third, wouldn’t. The coaches we’ve talked to all say they don’t like the ties, but many don’t miss the overtime, etc. A tie is the lesser of two evils, they feel, the extra potential 20 minutes leading to too much fatigue or chances for injury.

“The past couple of years when that final whistle blows we’ve just been accustomed to ‘OK, we’ve got our mind ready for overtime.’,” Guertin girls coach Chris Millett said. “On one hand, you can conserve some energy, limiting the potential for injury. I’m torn 50-50. I’m pretty indifferent about it.”

Sure, there’s pros and cons. But we want at least an attempt at a winner. Check out the standings and the logjams thanks to all the two points awarded for ties. Teams are starting to collect them like cleats. Teams in Division I boys soccer had 62 ties in their records (obviously shared). And coaches are starting to play for them, rather than leave the field empty-handed (no points). Instead, we all leave feeling, well, empty.

Now, that wasn’t the case last Thursday that wasn’t the case when Bishop Guertin and North boys played to a pretty thrilling 0-0 tie. But between the two, the teams have 10 ties, and both are in grave danger of not making the tourney. Guertin has six ties at 3-6-6, but hasn’t won a game since Sept. 17. The Cards didn’t mind taking the points, were playing to win, but they probably could’ve used an OT to get a couple more wins. Other teams aren’t so motivated.

“You can see that across the league,” Millett said. “Sometimes you pack it in and take the two points and move on. I hear you. We’ll see if the rules commission revisits it. But I’m OK with it right now.”

“Obviously I don’t like ties,” South girls soccer coach Curt Dutilley said. “But in high school, with the travel. … Take it from this perspective: The number of schools who are hurting for bodies in a lot of sports, now pushing kids if you go an extra 30, extra 40…” And injuries, fatigue.

So let’s do this next fall: How about one 10 minute OT? Field hockey has it right. That sport reduces the number of kids on the field, going 6 on 6 plus goalies. Lots of space. Lots of OT wins.

“I’m pretty indiferent on it,” Millett said. “Of course in two weeks we’ll be playing overtimes and possibly penalty kicks.”

Thank goodness. We’ll get a winner.

Tom King can be reached at tking@nashuatelegraph.com, or on twitter @Telegraph _TomK.