Soccer Game Report
Hesston vs. Cloud County, Sept. 18, 2003, Hesston

1st half: 1 CC Nelson Soares (unassisted)

2nd half: 2 CC Armando Fernandez (unassisted); 3 CC BJ Kropp (unassisted)

Shots: Hesston 6 (1 SOG); Cloud 20 (8 SOG)

Saves: Hesston (Danny Yoder) 5; Cloud (Kellan Eck) 1

Coach's Summary: It was another beautiful night in Hesston for a soccer game. With just a light wind and temps in the 50s, the Larks were primed for another tough Region VI contest against perennial powerhouse Cloud County Community College. “We knew from the start that Cloud would be a tough team. They’re a team that likes to possess the ball and build from the back and they do it well. Justin Meade is their most dangerous player. Justin is fast and explosive with the ball.”
      Cloud got off to a good start moving the ball very well. Hesston looked to be on their heels a bit from the start. The Larks took a while to get into things but eventually were able to slow the Thunderbirds down and force poor shots from outside the box. Just as it looked like Hesston was getting things under control, Justin Meade ripped a shot just outside the penalty box off the upright – the clang of which could be heard across Hesston. But the score remained 0-0. Hesston began to gradually mount some attack but it was the Thunderbirds who broke the tie when an oddly bouncing ball in the box was misplayed by the Larks defense and found an opportunistic Nelson Soares who buried the ball in the back of the net. “They had some good opportunities on goal but the goal they got in the first half was really a give away by us.”
      The play of the day went to Cloud County. BJ Kropp sent a nice cross in from left side of the pitch into a crowd just on top of the eighteen. Armando Fernandez ripped an amazing bicycle kick sending the ball screaming into back of the net. NO GOAL! Says the center ref. Instead Hesston was awarded a free kick as Fernandez was called for a high kick. “I understand why the ref made the call because his boot was up around my players face but if I’m the ref I might have let it go just because it was such an amazing goal. You just don’t see that very often in any game at any level. But I wasn’t about to complain.” The score remained 1-0.
      With just under a minute to go in the first half Hesston freshmen Philip Kaufman was presented with a golden opportunity to equalize. The Larks managed to split the Thuderbirds defense with a couple of nicely played balls. Kaufman made a nice run into the box, lunged for the ball but could only manage to put the ball just wide of the net.
      “Even though we ended the half down 1-0 we felt really good about our play. We hadn’t played our best and yet we were able to create some good chances on net. If Philip puts that ball away, we have all the momentum going into the second half. As it was I didn’t feel that either team had the momentum. It still felt like anyone’s game.”
      Cloud took control of the second half early but the Larks were quick to respond getting several good opportunities with some free kicks from 30 –40 yards out. “We've been able to get some good chances off of set pieces in the last few games but we’re just not connecting. If we can get those ironed out, we’ll be a very dangerous team with any set play inside the attacking half.” But it was Cloud that would strike the next blow when another defensive miscue gave the Thunderbirds the ball just outside the 18. Armando Fernandez made quick work of surgically slicing the ball past Yoder for the 2–0 lead. “At this point we still felt good about our chances. If not for two defensive miscues, the game could have been 0–0. But we did well to put it behind us and continue playing hard.”
      As time went on in the second half the Larks were finding more and more ways to penetrate through the midfield and getting the ball into the final third. “We did a much better job this game of possessing the ball but we’re still a long way off from what I think we’re capable of.” BJ Kropp put the final dagger into the Larks by nicely bending a ball up and over Yoder into the upper ninety. “That third goal was a back breaker. Our players had worked so hard. To be down 3-0 with only 10 minutes left is hard to swallow. But to my players credit they didn’t give up. The guys really did give a good effort for the full ninety minutes. Even though we lost we did show good improvement. Cloud is a good team. They really move the ball well. They’ll be a tough team for anyone to beat.”
      Hesston won’t have much time to rest as they head to Iola, Kansas to play Region VI opponent Allen County on Saturday afternoon at 2.