Ben Heithoff Oct. 31, 2008

Hamline snaps Dutch win streak in OT

PELLA—An undermanned Central College men’s soccer team saw its six-game win streak snapped with a 3-2 double-overtime loss to Hamline Univ. (Minn.) Friday.

The Dutch were without five starters because of injuries, and played the last 30 minutes of the contest with just 10 players. After battling through a scoreless first overtime period, Hamline’s Kor Cha scored the game-winner with 1:18 to go. 

Central struck first in the 32nd minute when defender Erik Lundgren (junior, Long Grove, Ill., Adlai Stevenson HS) assisted midfielder Cody Jandik (sophomore, Cedar Rapids, Cedar Valley Christian) on Jandik’s sixth goal of the year.

The lead held through halftime before Hamline (4-9-3) got on the board when Drew Lukas scored a pair of goals in a span of 2:11 to take the lead, but forward Brett McKenzie’s (sophomore, Lindenhurst, Ill., Antioch HS) team-high ninth goal in the 74th minute tied things up.

Hamline had a chance to take the lead again after Dutch goalkeeper Greg Foote (senior, Maple Grove, Minn.) received his second yellow card of the game and was ejected, forcing back-up goalkeeper Quincy Garner (sophomore, Pella) to come off the bench and face a penalty kick. The Hamline opportunity was spoiled as Garner made a diving save and Lukas was unable to control his own rebound.

“We have a lot of confidence in Quincy (Garner),” said Central coach Garry Laidlaw. “He’s come in and saved penalties for us before. He’s never had a bad game at the varsity level.”

But Central was then down to 10 men on the field for the second straight game and it was 2-2 at the end of regulation.

Despite the man disadvantage, Laidlaw said that Central was going for a win during the overtime periods.

“We were still holding out hopes of an at-large bid if we didn’t get an automatic bid by winning the (Iowa Conference) tournament,” he said. “We didn’t feel that a tie was going to be good enough.

“But I’m very proud of the guys. We had five field starters out today and we brought up five JV players who all saw playing time, and we were outplaying them with 10 players on the field.”

The loss drops the Dutch to 12-6 on the season heading into the league tourney. Central (7-1 conference) will receive a first-round bye in the league tourney, but will be without Foote in their first game because of the red card.

“It’s unfortunate that Greg’s not going to be able to play in the first game of the tournament,” Laidlaw said. “But we’re confident with Quincy (Garner) in there and we’ve had guys fill in when needed all season long.”