Millard West Wildcats
Boys High School Soccer
Penalty kicks propel No. 3 Patriots
(3/23) Millard South boys soccer coach Jim Cooney said he felt like his team had just gotten away with one.
The third-ranked Patriots scored on a penalty kick with just over 16 minutes left in the second half, then survived a wild shootout for a 2-1 win over No. 6 Millard West Friday night at Buell Stadium.
Millard South won 7-6 on penalty kicks when the Wildcats' Matt Sifers missed to the left in the eighth round of kicks.
"We might have stolen one there," Cooney said. "Millard West played some great defense and limited the things we wanted to do. We got a big save in the penalty kick, and that's something you have to get to win when it comes down to those."
Facing what would have been a game-winning kick, Millard South keeper Dan Whithorn dove to his right and stopped the kick of Tom Heavey to force a sudden death round of penalty kicks.
After three straight Patriot scores, Sifers' low burner dribbled wide of the left upright and gave Millard South the victory.
"We're hurting," Millard West coach Ron Beernink said. "They have a very nice team. That's just a turkey shoot when it gets to penalty kicks."
Millard West got on the board first when Aaron Galley took advantage of a defensive breakdown to slide a goal by Whithorn.
The Patriots evened things when junior forward Devon Strecker was clipped by Millard West goalie Matt Hudson inside the box. Cory Rohlfson converted the penalty kick against goalie Alex McKamy, who entered after Hudson was assessed a yellow card.
"You could tell we were pressing after they got that goal," Cooney said. "They just play such great defense. We were possessing too much and not making the extra pass."
Millard West (1-2)......................... 1 0 0 0 0-1
At Millard South (3-0).........................0 1 0 0 1-2
• Goals: MW, Galley; MS, Rohlfson.
