With soccer season starting it has been hard to find the time to write the way I want. Since the local papers no longer send reporters I have found it easier to write my own descriptions of the games and send them in for publication. So I figured I might as well include them on this, especially since the Kalona News doesn't usually credit me with writing the game summary.

I know I should probably be writing about what is happening in the West Bank, or maybe even some of the things happening in class but that will have to wait, at least a bit. In the meantime here it is.

Iowa Mennonite Soccer IMS 3, Holy Trinity 2

When the #7 and #8 ranked teams in 1A meet on the pitch one could reasonably expect to see a good match. That was certainly the case as IMS hosted Holy Trinity on a beautiful spring evening and came out on top with a hard fought 3-2 win.

Holy Trinity scored first as their quick forwards burst through the back line on a through ball and scored three minutes into the game. IMS evened the scored four minutes later when Vince Rhodes took the ball near midfield and began dribbling towards the goal. Weaving his way through several defenders, Vince Rhodes found his passing lanes cut off so he continued towards the goal, where he beat two more defenders before stroking the ball into the goal.

Both teams settled down defensively and for much of the rest of the half, play took place in the middle third of the field. With five minutes left in the half, Jacob Yoder took a ball deep into the corner of the box. Cutting back towards the goal he drilled a shot from an impossible angle but curled it around the post and into the goal. Holy Trinity equalized the score with just seconds left on the clock as a ball bounced badly off an IMS defender, allowing the Holy Trinity forward to run unimpeded towards the goal.

The second half saw IMS take the field with a bit more energy which showed as the players kept the pressure on the Holy Trinity defense much of the half. Forwards Truman Shetler, Jacob Yoder along with Chance Miller got off several shots but found it difficult to score as the goalie made good saves, or as shots hit the post or crossbar. Midfielder Stephan Peters nearly found the back of the net as he one touched a crossing ball but it hit the post and deflected to the goalie.

With five minutes on the clock Jacob Yoder sent a ball to Vince Rhodes on the left side. Determined to score, Rhodes took the ball, cut back and struck the ball into the net for the winning goal. This game provided a good test for our defense and with two exceptions the guys did a great job of slowing down the Holy Trinity speed. John Nicholson, Marshall Shrock, Kyle Miller and Chris Perez did a good job on the back line while Brian Miller and Rhodes anchored the midfield. Though he didn’t score Truman Shetler provided a lot of energy up front through out the match. With the win IMS moves to 3-0.

In JV action IMS lost to Holy Trinity 1-2 in a tough match. IMS scored first when Justin Boller ran down a long pass, beat his defenders and scored with 16 minutes left in the half. A second goal which IMS thought it had scored when the ball crossed the line was not called so the half ended with an IMS 1-0 lead. In the second half, Holy Trinity took advantage of some defensive miscues to notch two goals. IMS JV players found some bad fortune as several shots hit posts or the crossbar. Both teams played well as the IMS boys learned they need to play with intensity the entire match.