NEOSHO, Mo. — In its last three matches, the Neosho soccer team fell in penalty kick matches, but on Tuesday Neosho faced off an injury-riddled Joplin team and came out on top, 1-0, in a penalty-kick match.
The Eagles (6-6) were behind even before the starting whistle, with five starters sidelined with injuries, including captain Ever Blanco.
Neosho’s best opportunity to score came at the 21:04 mark of the first period, but a Wildcat corner kick clanked off the left post and the game remained scoreless.
The Wildcats had another chance with 15:30 left in the first period, when forward Franklin Maldonado went one-on-one with Joplin keeper Gage Stovern in the middle of the goal. Stovern won that battle with an impressive kick save that kept the game tied at 0-0.
Neosho (4-8-1) had another good look at 12:15 of the first, but Markus Morales’ try from 25-yards out sailed about two feet left of the post.
Maldonado had two corner kicks but the Wildcats came up empty on both and the teams went into the break tied at 0-0.
Joplin’s Stovern had a highlight-reel diving save at the 39:00 mark of the second period to keep the game even. But four minutes later, the depleted Eagle squad lost another player when the All-COC keeper was injured after a collision with a Neosho player and was sent to the bench.
“The first thought that was in my head was, Oh, man, another starter’” Joplin head coach Desmond Williams said of the leg injury to Stovern.
Joplin’s best scoring opportunity came at the 20:10 mark when Ben Sotlar challenged Neosho keeper Luis Martinez with a close try, but Martinez won the battle after deflecting the kick in the middle.
An Eagles corner kick from Briar Ledford bent toward the goal but was deflected by the Neosho defense at 9:30. The Eagles next chance came at 5:30 with a 20-yard free kick from Ledford but the kick sailed wide right to keep the game scoreless.
The Eagles final opportunity in regular time came off a free kick from 42-yards out, but an Eagle header just missed the goal as time expired, sending the match into its first 10-minute overtime.
The Wildcats had a nice look at 7:55 in close, but the try was successfully defended by Eagle reserve keeper Chai Drawdy.
Neither team could put the ball into the back of the net and the match went into its second overtime period. A Joplin header from 10 yards out at 5:40 of the second overtime was smothered by Martinez and the match went to penalty kicks.
The Wildcats won the penalty kick round 4-2 to claim the 1-0 win.
“Being down six starters, I have no complaints,” Williams said of his team. “But, hats off to Neosho for a great freaking game. We had primarily freshman and sophomores on the field and with six guys out and you couldn’t ask for a better effort. They played their butts off. Sometimes it doesn’t go your way. Neosho played a great game and we just didn’t get it done today.”
Williams also praised the play of one of his few upperclassmen on the field, senior forward Ben Sotlar.
“That man is a workhorse,” Williams said. “That man does not stop running. He did his job tonight. We had one, maybe two subs and you can only ask so much of your guys. I think they earned a day off tomorrow. I’m extremely proud of our guys.”
Joplin hosts Carl Junction (7-4) Monday. Neosho travels to Republic (7-11) Thursday.
