Parker Maher scored on a penalty kick and assisted on another goal, and Joplin goalkeeper Blake Ward stopped a penalty kick as the Eagles held off Willard 2-1 Wednesday night in a Class 3 District 12 soccer semifinal game Wednesday night at Junge Field.
The second-seeded Eagles (15-8) battle top-seeded Carthage (22-4) in the championship game at 6 p.m. Friday. The Tigers blanked Springfield Central 2-0 in the opening semifinal.
Joplin and Willard battled for 54 scoreless minutes until Lucas Kemper scored off a pass from Maher to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead.
Approximately 10 minutes later, Willard had a chance to pull even with a penalty kick, but Ward turned away the attempt.
Maher converted his penalty kick late in the half for make it a 2-0 lead, and Willard scored one minute later on Josh Lingurar’s header.
Both teams had eight shots, with Ward registering seven saves. Willard keeper Aaron Wells was credited with three saves.
“Blake Ward came up with the PK save and another big save,” Joplin head coach Ed Miller said. “I thought we played really good until the last two minutes. We had some good shots but their keeper made some good saves. We moved the ball, had some opportunities ... we still need to finish some of those opportunities.”
Carthage quickly grabbed the lead on Ismael Serratos’ goal in the sixth minute, and Joe Curti scored at 23 minutes for a 2-0 advantage.
“We played defense, we still possessed the ball the majority of the time,” Tigers head coach Jacob Osborne said. “Part of our defense was our possession. They really didn’t see a lot of time on the ball.
“At the same time, I would have liked to seen us generate more offensive opportunities. I was kind of disappointed in the second half. We let down a little bit on the offensive side.”
The Tigers outshot the Bulldogs 18-2 — Central had one shot in each half — and avenged a 1-0 loss to the Bulldogs six days earlier.
“Our passing was a lot better than when we played them last Thursday night but it still wasn’t our typical passing game,” Osborne said. “It was just off a little bit. It wouldn’t be off major ... it would be off one or two feet to the side, and that’s enough to slow you down because you have to take an extra touch or two, and on the (artificial) surface, that really magnifies things.”
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Globe/B.W.Shepherd Joplin's Daniel McDonald and Willard's Spencer Smith fight for possession of the ball at a Class 3 District 12 soccer match at Junge Field on Wednesday night.
Discussion
November 4, 2010
Joplin, Carthage advance to district soccer final
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Outlaws open season Thursday on the road
Chris Oldner takes a cut during the Joplin Outlaws practice Tuesday afternoon. The Outlaws open their season on Thursday night at Rossville and play seven road games before their home opener on June 5.
The Joplin Outlaws and new coach Rob Vessell have set some lofty goals for the 2012 baseball season.
Continued ... - Stanton’s homers fuel Marlins’ surge in May
- Five sign to join Missouri Southern women's track team
- Whisner ignites Joplin Miners past Webb City
- Venus Williams joins Serena on sideline in Paris
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- Pittsburg State Sports
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- Vengels sixth in heptathlon; PSU picks up two seventh-place finishes
- Ethan Cordray signs with Pittsburg State
- Lions, Gorillas begin competition in outdoor track and field championship
- Three finalists named for PSU head baseball coach position
- Lions qualify 10, PSU 15 for Division II outdoor track meet
- Missouri Southern Sports
- High School Sports
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Area athletes turn shine at state meet
Webb City's Jarvis Jones takes sixth in the 200.
- Cleo Elbert steps down at Thomas Jefferson
- Frontenac wins first state baseball title
- Joplin's Jeremy Lynn takes fifth at state tennis
- Frontenac advances at state baseball
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