Fri - 06 Jun
Written by Bill Seals
DES MOINES - In the latter stages of the postseason, the margin for error is often very slim, and that was certainly the case for Linn-Mar on Friday in its narrow 1-0 defeat at the hands of top-ranked and undefeated Johnston in the Class 3A semifinals at the Cownie Soccer Complex.
Two key sequences, which could have gone either way, favored the Dragons who were able to advance to Saturday's championship game against Iowa City West.
With 35:53 left to go in the second half, Johnston’s Pete Lashier lofted a free kick from the left corner into a crowd. The ball ricocheted off several players, before a Lions defender inadvertently tipped it past senior goalkeeper Jared Belin into his own net. Following the game, Dragon coaches confirmed it was an own-goal and didn’t credit anyone with the score.
“It was just a bad session there in the back,” said Linn-Mar Coach Corey Brinkmeyer. “Jared came out and got the ball, made a great attempt at it, but there was so much traffic in there. One thing led to another.”
Despite the stroke of bad luck earlier in the second half, Linn-Mar was in position to tie the match with just over 18 minutes remaining when Leroy Enzugusi received a ball in the box and was taken out by a defender. Two referees converged, with the head official over-ruling an initial penalty call.
Last Updated on Friday, 06 June 2014 21:02
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