CHECK HERE FOR FIRST HALF FOOTAGE
CHECK HERE FOR SECOND HALF FOOTAGE
CHECK HERE FOR OT FOOTAGE
CHECK HERE TO SEE THE ENTIRE SHOOTOUT
SUBSTATE FINAL: At Urbandale
Ames will play Dowling Catholic at 2:30, Thursday at SE Polk
#8 AMES 0
JOHNSTON 0
(Ames wins 12-11 in shootout)
It was a long time coming, but finally the soccer ball was placed into the net (legally) in Monday night’s sub state final between eighth ranked Ames and Johnston. After forty minutes of regulation, two ten minute OT’s and 12 kicks in the shootout Ames finally emerged as a 2009 state qualifier.
10 consecutive shootout kicks were netted before Johnston senior Josh Wenndt had his shot blocked by Ames goalie Michael Schmidt. On the ensuing kick, Ames freshman John Elsenbast calmly placed the ball in the upper-right corner of the net past the outstretched arms of Johnston goalie Brett Brones, and the celebration began.
Many opportunities were squandered in regulation due to tough defenses by both teams. Neither goalie was forced to make any extraordinary saves, making for a relatively uneventful first forty minutes. With 1:20 remaining in the first half of regulation Ames was able to put the ball in the net from a corner kick. However during a celebration from the Ames players the goal was being waved off by the referee because the whistle had already been blown stopping play before the ball was able to slip in.
With the extra periods came the rain and the rain would remian steady until the game was finished. Naturally it was an issue on the field as many of the players were slipping when they should have been at full speed. This undoubtedly hindered either team’s chance of scoring a goal.
So much like in the basketball season when the Little Cyclones ended the Dragons season at Wells Fargo, Johnston will wait for next year, and Ames will live to see another game.
TJ Rushing, High School Playbook
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