Ranked Eagles dominate second half

For 39 minutes, the Creston boys soccer team was in a standoff with Class 1A 14th-ranked Underwood here Tuesday evening.

Then, with 30 seconds left in the first half, the Eagles got an unusual goal for a 1-0 lead at the break. A shot by Colin Opstevdt was punched in the air by Panther goalkeeper Quenton Sadden. The ball skipped off his hands, landed on a spare ball near the post, and ricocheted past the goal line before Scadden could retrieve it.

That seemed to propel the Eagles to a strong second half, scoring four unanswered goals for a 5-0 victory. Two of them were scored in the final six minutes. Opstvedt and Alex Thomsen each scored two goals for the Eagles, who had 33 total shots in a strong possession attack.

“That second half, we got mentally down,” Panther coach Lucian Diaconu said. “In the first 20 minutes of the game it was a good game on both sides and we had some opportunities.”

But those opportunities were few and far between, as Creston ended with only five shots on goal.

“We were not consistent with offense,” Diaconu said. “They played well on defense. They pretty much choked our play up front.”

Underwood improved to 5-1.

“We knew this was a tough team,” Diaconu said. “You can tell from the way they played. They laid back, tested our patience, and when we jumped on and stepped up, they saw the gap and passed it.”

On a positive note, both Scadden and all-conference midfielder Ben Irr made their debuts Tuesday, coming off injuries.

“For only having less than a handful of practices, I told Quenton he played well,” Diaconu said. “With Ben, this was the day we were going to test him and start with him in the back with his experience in organizing our defense. It looks like now that once he has the ball and focuses on the play, he’s a different person and forgets about the leg.”

Irr suffered a broken leg (fibula) in PE class in early February and only recently began practicing.

Underwood won the JV contest, 1-0.

Creston, now 2-2 overall and 0-1 in the Hawkeye 10, hosts Denison-Schleswig at 6 p.m. Thursday after the girls match. Denison-Schleswig improved to 3-0 Tuesday with a 3-2 victory over Sioux City West. The Monarchs have also defeated St. Albert and Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson.

Underwood 5, Creston 0

Creston (0) — Shots (on goal) — 5 (5 on goal). Individual shots (on goal)— Evan Jacobson 2 (2), Tyler Peters 2 (2), Gavin Woods 1 (1). Keeper saves — Quenton Scadden 10, Payton Pryor 3. Cards — Travontay Wright (Y).

Underwood (5) — Colin Opstevdt :30 first half (Conner Tweed assist); Opstvedt 20:52 second half (Tweed assist); Jake Dotterer 16:00 second half; Alex Thomsen 6:00 second half (Alec Leaders assist); Thomsen 4:38 second half (Chase Brandt assist). Shots (on goal) — 33. Saves — Brandt 5.