Another Iowa City classic sees City High prevail in shootout

IOWA CITY — Dramatic finishes are the norm when the Iowa City High and Iowa City West boys' soccer teams meet. About 10 years ago, when the teams weren't even that well-matched, it was almost a given the game would go through two overtimes to penalty kicks.

So it was no surprise that it came down to City goalie Sam Tomek saving the second of two PKs by West to give his top-ranked Little Hawks a 1-0 (4-3 PK) victory Tuesday night before an overflow crowd of at least 1,000 at City High.

'It was more than exciting — it was the most amazing feeling ever,' Tomek said.

Tomek blocked one shot and City missed one high to leave it tied 3-3 going to the fifth shooter. Nasim Salih made his for City, setting up Tomek's save.

'I knew the team was depending on me, and I had to come up with the save,' he said. 'I looked at him (Adam Rose) and I did guess a little bit, and I kind of fell where he was heading. It was just pure adrenaline.'

Students rushed the field and engulfed Tomek and his teammates.

'It was exhausting because the West game is about emotion,' Brown-Rodriguez said. 'Even if one team is much better than the other, which isn't the case at all, it's still going to be a close score because it's City-West. Everyone is fired up and then that emotion goes 100 minutes and PKs. It's insane.'

The victory left City (14-0, 12-0 MVC) unbeaten with one regular-season game remaining. The Trojans, ranked third, are 14-2. 11-1.

GIRLS: West's Emma Cooper nets overtime winner

The drama on this day came courtesy of the defenses. West High goalie Zach Frisbie saved a penalty kick by Victor Brown-Rodriguez in the 13th minute after Salih was fouled in the box. But neither team really had great chances to score.

'Their center backs played outstanding and kept the ball out of their end,' West Coach Brad Stiles said. 'They picked off every pass that we tried to play, and we didn't attack the outside very well.'

'We used the same plan as we did against Linn-Mar,' City defender Collin O'Meara said. 'Antonio Sanchez and Alex Andersen are two very good players so I sat further back in the midfield so they couldn't counterattack as much.'

'That's why we are where we are,' City Coach Jose Fajardo said. 'It's not because we're scoring 17 goals every game. It's because we are a very disciplined team who really cares about each other.'

This was City's third victory in a row against its rival.

'It's awesome; this season has gone the most ideal way possible,' O'Meara said.