By RICHIE HALL
CARMEL – Once again, the Noblesville boys soccer team responded when its back was against the wall.
The Class 3A No. 3 Millers trailed to county rival, 3A No. 11 Westfield dangerously late in the second half of Monday’s first-round Sectional 9 game at Carmel’s Murray Stadium. But Noblesville found a way, thanks to two goal-scoring sophomores, who delivered big time in the Millers’ 2-1 overtime win against the Shamrocks.
Westfield scored its goal in the first half, with Oliver Church finding the back of the net. The Rocks held that 1-0 lead well into the second half, thanks to a phenomenal performance from goalkeeper Austin Butler. The senior made 22 saves in the game.
Noblesville finally broke through in the 76th minute. Ben Hewitt was awarded a penalty kick, and he slammed it in to tie the game. That made the score 1-1, and it was still tied at regulation, sending it to two seven-minute overtimes.
“We don’t give up,” said Hewitt. “We just keep going until we score.”
The Millers got the go-ahead goal in the second overtime. After a Noblesville shot bounced off the right goal post, the ball got played to Rylen Jenski, who booted the rebound into the net with under two minutes to go. Brady Frayer is credited with the assist.
“I thought it was going in, so I kind of froze getting ready to celebrate, and then I saw it rolling my way, so I just hit it as hard as I can,” said Jenski.
Jenski had just recently got the call up from junior varsity to the Noblesville varsity ranks.
“He was scoring a lot,” said Millers coach Ken Dollaske. “And as the season progressed, we thought that he was scoring goals just because he was going against other JV players. And then we started to really realize that he was putting himself in the right position at the right time, and not trying to overhit the ball and just place it in the back of the net.
This was a prime example. He knew where he needed to be. He knew that he was going to be the secondary guy off of that cross. He didn’t think twice about it. He used the side of his foot with power and just put it in the back of the net.”
Noblesville advances to tonight’s semifinals at Murray Stadium. The Millers will play No. 6-ranked Zionsville in the first game at 5:30 p.m. Carmel will play Brebeuf Jesuit in the second semifinal, which begins around 7:30 p.m.
***
Hamilton Southeastern, ranked No. 2 in 3A, beat Pendleton Heights 4-2 in the first round of Sectional 8 at the Royals’ field.
Southeastern led 3-0 at halftime. Jack Anderson put in the first goal during the 16th minute with a strike from 18 yards. Two minutes later, Jean Oquendo scored from a long pass by Cooper Perez. Cade Joniec got the Royals up 3-0 in the 38th minute, with Perez again making the assist.
Ameer Abu-Salih scored Southeastern’s fourth goal early in the second half. The Arabians scored twice in that half, but the Royals held on for the win.
Southeastern is 11-0-5 and plays Mount Vernon tonight in the second semifinal, around 7:15 p.m. The Marauders beat Muncie Central 4-1 on Tuesday to advance to the semis. Fishers takes on Anderson in the first semifinal, which begins at 5:30 p.m.
***
University beat Sheridan 4-1 Monday in the first-round of Class 1A Sectional 40 at Southmont.
The Trailblazers are 6-10 and play North Putnam this afternoon in the first semifinal game. The Blackhawks finished their season 10-5-2.
***
Hamilton Heights and Guerin Catholic both dropped first-round matches at Class 2A Sectional 24 Tuesday at Park Tudor.
The Huskies fell to Tri-West 3-0 in the first game, finishing their season at 5-11-1. The Golden Eagles lost to the host Panthers 3-1; Robbie Burt scored GC’s goal just over a minute into the second half.
Guerin Catholic finished its season 5-10-1. In their regular-season finale, the Golden Eagles beat Fort Wayne Canterbury 4-1 last Saturday. Connor Klen scored two goals, with Burt and Gavin Rieck scoring one each. Rieck had two assists and Burt had one.
Be the first to comment on "Boys soccer: Millers shake Shamrocks in overtime, HSE & University advance to semifinal"