2011 State Soccer Tournament Boys 1A Semifinal; Prairie Seeds Academy vs. Rochester Lourdes

Mall of America Field (Metrodome)

Prairie Seeds Academy  2-1  (OT)  Rochester Lourdes

The Prairie Seeds Academy Lycans (19-0-2) took on #4 seeded Rochester Lourdes Eagles (19-3-0) in the second game of Monday’s quarterfinals at the Metrodome.

It didn’t take long for Prairie Seeds Academy (PSA) to show why they were the number one seed coming into the tournament. As always, the team played through the midfield with flair. Seven minutes into the game PSA junior Roberto Dominguez played a cheeky diagonal through ball that was dummied. That released senior forward Mark Dweh to fire at goal but he missed going just wide of the left post. In the following 3 minutes PSA had three good chances, one forcing Lourdes goalkeeper Will Elder into an

outstanding save at his left post.

In the 23rd minute Lycans Junior forward Ismale Jome had a good rip at goal from 20 yards out but struck it low right to the Lourdes goalkeeper.

PSA came close again in the 30th minute after being awarded a free kick from 20 yards out. Senior midfielder Oscar Cendejas hit his dead-ball shot off the left post and out of bounds; A close call for Rochester Lourdes.

Finally in the 32nd minute PSA broke through. Cendejas fed Jome through with a diagonal ball. He got around his defender and smashed the ball into the top netting on the right side to put his team up 1-0.

At the end of the half it was just 1-0 PSA, but the shots on goal were overwhelmingly in their favor, dominating 12-1. However PSA only forced Elder into 3 saves.

The Rochester Lourdes changed there formation in the second half. The Eagles had played with only one up top in the first half and switched to 2 forwards. The move seemed to cause problems for the Lycans as they often were sending their wide defenders forward. In the 56th minute Rochester had their closest chance. A ball was played forward that bounced toward PSA’s goal. Lourdes junior midfielder Tim Wente self passed by heading the ball forward. As he chased after the ball that had beat Lycan’s goalkeeper Valle Betzabet, he raced to the ball that was rolling slowly towards the line. But PSA sophomore midfielder Mualigbe Keita arrived at the same time as Wente and the two collided running into the left post as the Lycan player cleared the ball from danger.

In the 62nd minute the Eagles turned the table on PSA when junior defender Karl Krecke fed junior midfielder Gabe Salerno. He rounded his defender on the right and unleashed from 12 yards out, beating Betzabet and pulling Rochester even at 1-1.

Just a few minutes later the Eagles dodged another bullet as freshman forward for the Lycans Sirleaf Wiah picked up a lose bouncing ball after a scramble in front of the Eagles net. Wiah hit a wicked half-volley from 10 yards out that crashed into the crossbar and caromed away.

Regulation time ended with the two teams still tied despite a 20 to 3 shot differential for PSA.

Just 2 minutes into the first golden goal overtime, PSA’s Keita collected a pass and blasted a shot from 25 yards out that just missed the upper 90 of the far post.

The Lycans finally got their deserved game winner in the 4th minute of the first overtime. It was Keita again as Ismaila chipped the Eagles defense and found the PSA forward. Keita was sandwiched between two defenders but when he saw Elder racing out of goal he poked the ball toward goal. The ball slid under the charging Rochester’s keeper and Keita followed the ball as it rolled into the goal for the game winner.

“We did get into trouble in the back,” said Prairie Seeds Academy head coach Youssef Drabaki. “I told the outside backs to be conservative and pay attention. I let the kids make decisions and they’re going to make mistakes. They (Rochester) did give us trouble, no question about it. So in the overtime we said we would have the left side move up and the right side stay home so we could keep four guys in the back.”

“We didn’t play our game in the second half and that’s why we got scored on. But our team has been playing together for a long time. We know what we’re like on the field and off the field,” said Keita who scored the winning goal.

“It was a great season,” said Tom Kane who has a 264-46-23 record in his 15 years as head coach of the Eagles. “The kids gave me everything they had today. They knew they were the underdogs. They knew there was only one way they were going to win and that was give it everything they had. I got that and that’s all I could ask for.”

Final Stats

Shots: PSA-23/RL-4

Saves: PSA-2/RL-6

CK’s: PSA-4/RL-3

Game Notes:

Prairie Seeds Academy head coach Youssef Drabaki confirmed rumors that Carlos Boquin was not on the tournament roster as he is being investigated by the Minnesota State High School League for age violation. Drabaki said that they have submitted a birth certificate to the league but it was not satisfactory and needed an original. The Lycans coach claimed he now has the original mailed from Salvador and received just this morning and will be submitting it to the State High School League today. He said he expects Boquin back in the lineup for Thursday’s final.