An otherwise incredible soccer match between two of Class 1A’s best teams ended in controversial fashion Friday night as top-ranked West Branch buried the golden goal in overtime against the Comets to complete their quest for regular-season perfection.
The top-five matchup found itself in overtime after concluding a 1-1 regulation.
It was the Comets who started the period in possession, bringing the ball down the field before putting a shot in for the winner — to no avail.
The Bears quickly countered, putting a shot on target. Then during the scramble, bodies collided as the Comet keeper found himself on the turf with some discomfort.
As the refs allowed play to continue, Bear senior Cameron Gingerich buried the ball in the back of the Comets’ net.
The head referee met with the linesman, discussing the possibility of wiping away the winning goal and awarding the foul on the keeper.
After a couple of minutes of discussion, the goal was awarded with cheers and jeers ringing from the stands, as the Bears escaped with their perfect season intact.
Comets head coach Walton Ponce kept it simple post game, as with a smirk the message was simple — “We hope to see them again.”
The Comets and Bears entered the matchup sitting first and fifth respectively in the class 1A standings as they matched up for their regular season finale.
West Liberty fired out of the gate aggressive, applying pressure deep in their opponents’ defensive third, contrary to their typical style of letting play develop.
“That was the game plan,” Ponce said. “It doesn’t matter what they’re ranked. We were going to make them play out game.”
The Comets managed a number of clear-cut chances but failed to find the back of the net until the 37th minute as senior Pascual Pedro found the opening goal for the Comets. The remainder of the first half passed uneventfully as the Comets captured a 1-0 lead.
The second half saw a different pace from the Comets, playing slowly and methodically from the back to control possession and see out the second half.
That didn’t mean the Comets didn’t have opportunities to find a second goal as they picked their way through the Bear defense and worked mightily to find themselves some insurance.
However, in the 72nd minute, a free cross toward the Comets box and found itself in the top of the Comet goal to bring the Bears back from the dead.
The final eight minutes saw the Comets put another pair of shots on goal but were unable to sneak the ball past the keeper as these River Valley Conference rivals headed to that dramatic overtime period.
Earlier in the week, the Comets took a dominating 8-2 win over Anamosa and a 3-0 victory over Davenport West to conclude their regular season with a 10-5 record.
As a result of their ranking, the Comets will move directly into the second round of the playoffs and will play Bellevue in the substate semifinals.
That game will be played on May 20 at West Liberty with a scheduled 7 p.m. start time.
Girls split final regular season games
The West Liberty girls’ soccer team split their final week of the regular season, falling 9-2 to Anamosa while capturing a 1-0 win over West Branch on senior night Friday.
Monday, the Comets headed to Anamosa to play the Blue Raiders. The Comets struggled against a potent Anamosa attack, conceding four goals in the first half. Tides changed little in the second half as Anamosa mounted another five goals to leave as 9-0 victors.
Friday the Comets hosted West Branch for senior night. The Comets jumped on the board early as freshman midfielder Chandler Gingerich found the back of the net in the fourth minute.
The Bears put the Comets through the ringer in the remainder of the contest as senior Maelyn Wainwright blocked 19 shots on goal in her final home match between the pipes.
The onslaught continued for the Bears in the second half but a reliance on defense allowed the Comets to cling to their one goal and escape as winners.
The comets conclude their regular season 9-6 prior to their first-round postseason matchup Wednesday against Tipton.
If victorious, they will play the winner of Beckman Catholic or Marquette Catholic in the regional semifinals on May 21 with the Trailblazers currently holding home field advantage.