Senior Kaden Kerr dribbles the ball up the field while directing his teammates. Kerr scored the game-tying goal late in regulation during the game Tuesday night.
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Senior Kaden Kerr dribbles the ball up the field while directing his teammates. Kerr scored the game-tying goal late in regulation during the game Tuesday night.
There are no bonus points for being fancy in a sudden death overtime period.
So when senior Isaac Winder saw the opportunity to put the game away, he didn’t hesitate to take the shot.
“It was a pretty straightforward, simple play. I saw the gap, got into it, the ball came in just perfectly,” Winder said of his game-winning goal. “It was a nice little tap in. Nothing too fancy.”
Winder’s goal completed the Cardinals’ 2-1 comeback victory over Topeka Hayden Tuesday night. Junior Brayden Hayes provided the assist on the play.
Head coach Darren Erpelding said he was proud of Winder for fighting through a rough night to help the Cardinals earn the win.
“Honestly, Isaac didn’t have one of his best games. His touch was just off tonight. Just not like he normally plays,” Erpelding said. “So for him to put it away and just kind of overcome all of that and put the ball away was awesome.”
Winder’s overtime goal could not have happened had senior Kaden Kerr not scored to tie the game shortly before.
With about 7:30 left in regulation, Kerr lined up a corner kick where the plan was to give a teammate a chance to score, but a little luck helped guide the ball to over the goalkeeper’s outstretched arm and into the back of the net.
“I was trying to hit the guy on the back post. It happened to curl a little bit more,” Kerr said.
Kerr’s tying goal gave the Cardinals the boost of momentum they needed to get the win in overtime.
Although the team got the victory, the game was largely a struggle for the Cardinals.
Much like the Lansing game to open the season, the Cardinals’ opponent was the aggressor early on while the Cardinals tried to piece things together on offense.
Kerr said the team’s struggles in the first half happened because the team was not on the same page with each other.
“We tried to be like individuals and not play as a team,” Kerr said.
The Cardinals found themselves down early as well after Wildcats junior Preston Meitner scored about 13 minutes into the game. Senior Lane Neuman was credited with the assist.
Coming out of halftime though, the Cardinals looked like a different team as they were much more energetic and intense.
“Part of soccer is just having to kick into high gear,” Winder said. “We grew to match the level or surpass the level of the team we were going against.”
Yet, the Cardinals offense still struggled to put the ball in the goal despite giving themselves some more opportunities.
Erpelding said he was imploring his team to play through its center forward in order to really open things up.
“We finally did that a little bit towards the end of the second half and into the overtime, all of a sudden, lo and behold, we started creating a lot more chances,” Erpelding said. “Once we did that, you know, we started creating chances and got some shots off, got some corners, got some long throws.”
The extra chances gave Kerr and Winder the opportunity they needed to bring the Cardinals back from the jaws of defeat.
Erpelding said the team’s energy in the second half also helped secure the win.
“We talk all the time that, at the 4A level especially, if you bring your energy, and you bring excitement, and you bring really good effort and intensity, there’s games that you don’t play great, and you can still come away with a win,” Erpelding said.
The team will take on rival Tonganoxie at 6:15 p.m. Thursday night.
Winder said he is expecting another tough, physical game against the Chieftains, similar to the one the Cardinals played last year in the postseason where the game was determined by penalty kicks.
“I’m looking forward to it,” he said.
Watch the Kaw Valley State Bank post-game show with Winder, Kerr and Erpelding to get their full thoughts on Tuesday’s comeback win.
Reach reporter Jack Denebeim at [email protected]
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