Storm stunned in overtime heartbreaker

INDIANOLA, Iowa -- The Simpson men's soccer team held a decisive advantage on the stat sheet, but Miguel Pina's goal in the eighth minute of overtime gave Central a 2-1 win Saturday in the first round of the American Rivers Conference Tournament.

Jack Lammers scored the lone goal for the Storm (11-6-2), who lost despite outshooting the Dutch (9-8) 14-3 and putting seven shots on frame compared to two.

Fifth-seeded Central advances to the semifinal round to face top-seeded Loras on Wednesday.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Central took the lead with just its second shot attempt when Kiel Pederson collected a deflection in the 51st minute.

Lammers produced the equalizer on a pretty goal in the 82nd minute. Baraka Ellie got the chance started with a corner kick into the box. Tanner Alderson took the ball at his feet and fired a shot on frame. Lammers gave the attempt a final push to the back of the net for the freshman's first career goal.

Simpson had the first opportunity in overtime, narrowly missing the golden goal. In the 97th minute, Alderson—who was harassed by the Central back line all afternoon—cleared just enough space to fire a shot at the far post from eight yards out. But his bouncing shot missed wide by inches.

Daniel Alanis got the winning goal started with a big through-ball to Pina, who just managed to stay onsides. In a one-on-one situation with Simpson keeper Jake Potratz, Central's leading goal-scorer chipped a shot over the head of a charging Potratz for the game-winner.

ACCORDING TO COACH ISAACSON

"Soccer can be a cruel sport. The final score isn't indicative of how that game unfolded. We held a 14-3 advantage in shots taken but only produced a lone goal for those efforts. That's not going to be good enough to beat a gritty team like Central. 

"I'm proud of our only senior, Jack Arndt, and the legacy he's left behind. Jack grew into a tremendous leader in our program and became a pretty darn good soccer player along the way. He set a great example for his teammates to follow as they look to build upon the foundation Jack helped build.

"This is a disappointing end to the season. We had all hoped for more. This experience will make the young men in our program stronger than they were yesterday. Falling short of our goal to win a championship stings, but finishing 11-6-2 and third place in this league is nothing to be ashamed of. This team should walk away from the 2018 season with their heads held high."