Prep soccer: Wahawks outlast Bettendorf for Classic title

April 20--WATERLOO -- The race to claim the 2014 Wahawk Classic boys' soccer championship went down to the wire Saturday as host Waterloo West and Bettendorf finished a 1-0 battle with nothing left in their tanks.

The Wahawks had just enough left to win 5-4 in a penalty kick shootout.

"You saw two very good and very tired teams playing out there today," Wahawks coach Mike Penning said. "We each played four games in all and it was wearing everyone down, and we were just happy to get our four wins."

It did not come easily for the Wahawks as the high powered Bulldogs spent the first half and most of the second half pounding away at goalkeeper David Ticknor, who turned back each and every challenge.

"We played a lot of soccer today and I knew I had to keep my focus to help the team," Ticknor said after allowing a single tally the whole afternoon.

Ticknor gave up his duties in net to Amil Murtic for the PK and knew his team was in good hands.

"He (Murtic) has done very well in this situation," Ticknor said. "We are one team and we win as a team."

Murtic was challenged by five Bulldogs during the PK, and after a few miscalculations, he rose to the occasion and stopped Nathan Seaberg for the win.

"I love the pressure like this," Murtic said. "To be honest, David played great and I knew it was all on me at that point. When the last guy shot, I just read the way he ran at the ball and guessed right."

In the consolation game, Waterloo Columbus received two big first-half goals from Isaac Squires and sealed the third-place trophy with a 2-0 victory over Davenport West.

Squires scored in the 19th minute, then out-dueled a defender in front of the 18-foot box three minutes later and launched a shot to the right post that squeezed through for the insurance tally.

"It was so tough in that last game because everyone's legs were so dead," Squires said. "I just got the ball off a block or something and put it on frame. I did see a little spot to put it on and it just went in."

The Sailors used a controlled offense and suffocating defense throughout the final 38 minutes to take home the hardware. Netminder Lee Hansen buried the few threats that were thrown at him to help secure the victory.

"It was a good day for us," Sailors coach Don Sullivan said. "We are a Class 1A school and to come in here and compete with the bigger schools, and win, it does us a lot of good in prepping for state."

The Sailors' only blemish of the day came at the feet of Bettendorf.

"There is no shame in losing to them," Sullivan said. "Our guys played hard all day and they never quit."

___

(c)2014 Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (Waterloo, Iowa)

Visit Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (Waterloo, Iowa) at www.wcfcourier.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services