Goalkeepers shine before City High tops Prairie in shootout

IOWA CITY — In a battle of attrition, Sam Tomek was the last goalkeeper standing.

Iowa City High's junior keeper didn't save the final shot of a six-man shootout, but when Prairie's Peyton Helgeson hit the cross bar and the ball bounded outward Tomek had a 1-0 shutout and the third-ranked Little Hawks (11-0, 8-0 MVC) had survived.

'He's progressively getting better and better and better,' City High Coach Jose Fajardo said.

The truth is that both keepers were terrific.

Tomek made a one-handed diving save of an angled shot about halfway through the second half. He saved a penalty kick by Mateus Lewis in the 77th minute that would have won the game for the Hawks.

'It was really nerve-wracking,' Tomek said. 'I felt lucky to save that. Yeah (I guessed right). Usually you have to guess.'

Prairie goalie Chase Harrison was magnificent all game but particularly in the second overtime, as City frantically spread its attackers and fired shots at will. Harrison grabbed every single blast.

'I was amazed that he was that short and was able to do the stuff that he did,' Tomek said of Harrison. 'He played great.'

Both teams made their first five shots of the shootout. City junior Rasmus Schlutter was next.

'When I was going up there I just told myself to calm down,' he said. 'I just wanted to put it away for my team.'

That brought Helgeson to the mark, and his shot was barely high.

'I guessed he was going the other way,' Tomek said sheepishly. 'I was like, 'I guessed wrong, there's nothing I can do now' and then it hit the crossbar.'

As the ball bounced free Helgeson knelt and put his hands over his face; Tomek was mobbed by teammates.

'When I couldn't save any I was getting mad at myself,' Tomek said. 'But my team was able to keep it going.'

The No. 10 Hawks (6-5, 4-4) keep fighting through a tough part of the schedule.

Prairie played conservatively, keeping nine and 10 guys on the defensive end, something City has seen all season, but it almost worked.