Prairie Stars survive against future GLVC opponent

September 17, 2008
By Robert Jackson
Sports Writer

It was only fitting that both halves were punctuated with a player drug own during a physical game last Saturday against the Pumas of St. Joseph’s College in heavy rain that came later then forecasted.

“We see that every week in [the Great Lakes Valley Conference],” Puma head coach David Bokhart said. There were four yellow cards total and multiple referee stoppages of play for injuries.

Frank Rodriguez and Jakub Piotrowski scramble for the ball during last Saturday’s win against Saint Joseph’s College

But the Prairie Stars avoided the most devastating blow of all by escaping with a 2-1 overtime victory after nearly 115 minutes of soccer, leaving many Puma players shocked and lying on the field.

The win puts the Prairie Stars 2-0 against future GLVC opponents with two more left on the schedule: University of Missouri-St. Louis and Southern
Indiana.

“I think the two wins have meant a lot,” senior goalkeeper Chance Walker said. “It gives us a lot of momentum for this season along with confidence
about moving to Division II next year.”

The Prairie Stars began the first ten minutes inside the Puma’s end of the field controlling much of the possession. But at 8:13 on a counter a Puma player sent a long, crisp ball to Tyler Kincaid of Saint Joseph’s down the sideline. One touch from Kincaid allowed him to speed past the defense as he eventually polished off his run that started from about 35 yards out with a shot that found the left side-netting of the goal.

Coming into the game, the Pumas outscored their opponents 12-5 in the first half.

“We get into teams early,” Bokhart said. “Attacking is a strength of ours right now. We play wide and when we get the ball up quick good things happen for us.”

Thirteen minutes, later the Pumas nearly scored again after Chad Stuecher headed the ball off the cross-bar. The ball ricocheted downward bouncing just before the end-line.

Walker alertly tried to play the ball, but another Puma striker streaked in past the 6-yard box to try another head shot. Walker, however, made a quick catch for the save.

The Puma’s captain, Bojan Adler, was eventually ejected from the game for protesting. This would leave the Pumas to play the next 69 minutes of regulation with only 10 players.

Despite the player advantage the Prairie Stars would not tie the game until 15 minutes remaining in the game.

Jakub Piotrowski muscled his way past defenders, dribbling inside the 18-yard box where he crossed the ball to the middle, just in front of the 6-yard box. A dog pile formed on top of the ball after one Puma player trapped it.
The ball squeaked out of the pile and Piotrowski buried the shot in the right corner of the net.

The first overtime period saw the effects of the heavy rain on the two team’s respective goalkeepers. Both goalkeepers avoided punting the ball to the middle, opting instead for short throws to the sidelines.

Additionally, on a free-kick just outside the 18-yard box, a shot slipped out of the grasp of Walker who had to dive on the ball to deny any second chances.

“Ask any goal keeper and I’m sure they’ll tell you it’s not ideal and they would rather be playing in dryer conditions but it is part of the game and you can’t control the weather,” Walker said.

In the second overtime, Piotrowski found the back of the net again for the game winning goal. Prior to a corner kick for the Pumas, Prairie Stars Head Coach Joe Eck ordered both his strikers, Doellman and Piotrowski, to play further back. After the corner was defended, the counter attack built until Piotrowski received a pass from Frank Rodriguez, which he took the rest of
the way and finished with a hard shot for the game-winner.

The Prairie Stars play again tonight against future GLVC opponent UMSL.