For the second year in a row, I’m proud to present Coach Terry Michler (CBC, St Louis Lions) with his report on the Missouri Boys Class 3 Soccer State Final.
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Under the clear blue skies at the Anheuser-Busch Center in Fenton, Mo. The ‘Blue of SLUH’ took on the ‘Royal Blue of Rockhurst’ to determine the Class 3 State Championship. A nice crowd gathered to witness what promised to be a battle of heavyweights – both teams had high expectations to be in this game. Both teams had comfortable wins in the Semi-Finals and were well rested and battle tested. The anticipation was high as the match had all the makings of a classic. Blue was the color and 4-3-3 was the playing system for both teams. The game was to be a contrast of styles as SLUH plays on the break and Rockhurst likes to build it up. Irony prevailed as Rockhurst scored the game’s only goal on the break !! The game was settled at the 56 minute mark as Peter O’Neill scored to seal the deal.
In the opening moments of the game, SLUH appeared to be a bit tentative and Rockhurst was probing with deep diagonal balls hoping to get in behind SLUH’s wide backs. It was SLUH who settled into their game first as Chris Haffner entered the game as a substitute in the 11th minute and immediately took his first touch to goal, only to be pushed low to the post and out for a corner. That was the first of many saves that Christian Krueger, the Rockhurst keeper, would be called upon to make today. From that moment on, SLUH kept up the pressure and took the game to the Rockhurst goal. The main point of attack seemed to be wide and serve, and from restarts. Jack Twellman was consistently dangerous with his probing serves from the run of play and from deadballs. In the 25th minute, SLUH had a goal disallowed that was a result of a curling serve from a Twellman deadball. Tommy Meyer got on the end of the serve and put his shot on goal - Krueger dove to save, but the ball squirted free. In the ensuing melee, SLUH managed to push the ball across the line only to have the referee wave it off for an infraction. Needless to say, SLUH was not happy with the call.
It was 30 minutes into the game before Rockhurst started to settle into their game. For the most part, their day so far was defending and playing out and defending some more. SLUH has 3 corners and 8 free kicks in the first half and everyone of them challenged the Rockhurst defense. Halftime arrived and the advantage definitely favored SLUH, however, Rockhurst managed to get out of the half with the game scoreless, knowing they had not played their best.
The second half started with Rockhurst establishing a passing game and the tempo changed in their favor. I am a firm believer that it is difficult to duplicate the same level of performance for both halves. Soccer is a game of 2 halves. A strong first half without a result can sometimes make for a difficult second half and a sub-par first half and still being in the game, gives hope for a better second half. That seemed to be a story line for today’s game.
Rockhurst maintained a more poised, possession game during the second half and 56 minutes into the game, Peter O’Neill struck for the game winner. Tommy Meyer took a SLUH free kick deep in the attacking half and in the ensuing play, Alex Sweetin of Rockhurst found a seam between the last two SLUH defenders, played a deep, early ball in to Peter O’Neill who split the defenders, drew the keeper and put the ‘bulge in the onion bag’. Chris Lawson, the Rockhurst coach, was concerned about SLUH”s restarts and it’s ironic that the Rockhurst goal comes from a SLUH restart. Now it was game on !! Tim Milford of SLUH threatens the goal 3 minutes later and is turned aside for a corner kick. Rockhurst continues to keep the ball in their possession game, but SLUH starts to gradually get more of the game.
David Ziegler of SLUH hit a blistering shot at the 70 minute mark, turned away for yet another corner. The last 10 minutes and the extra time was mostly SLUH forcing the game with shots, serves, corners and dangerous free kicks. Rockhurst had a couple of counters, but SLUH managed to win the ball back. Tommy Meyer was playing dangerous deep balls into the mixer on free kicks from the midline, Jack Twellman was curling corners and at 79 minutes, Kevin Smith unleashed a shot that looked to be taking the game to overtime only to have the Rockhurst defense knock it out for a very tense corner kick. SLUH continued to barrage the Rockhurst goal during the extra time, finally to be stopped by the referee’s whistle calling for full time.
At the end of the day, Rockhurst managed to score off the break, bend but not break on defense, and capture the school’s third State Championship. For SLUH, it was their fifth runner-up trophy to go with their three Championships. Rockhurst finished the year at 25 – 5 and SLUH at 26-4-3. Hats off to both teams for an exciting Final.
Terry Michler, CBC
KC Star reports on the win
6 Comments
Pretty obvious that this was written by a person with a St Louis bias - are you really sure Rockhurst was even at this game. 95% of what’s written here is praising SLUH. So I guess maybe the writer didn’t think RHS deserved to win. Sore loser!
Larry - did you read what the KC Star wrote about the game? Your team won and your whining. That’s pitiful.
SLUH did dominate this game.
OLE - of course the KC paper reported that RHS won. They did!!! You don’t get it. You are publishing as an independent, from Springfield. Why in the hell did you need a CBC person (who’s team lost to RHS this year) to write the article for you?
Pitiful? LOL - I think you’re just mad someone called out your writer for being biased and while the term “sore loser” might not have been the best term to use, what else was I going to say to get the point across - sorry STL folks but your team lost - get over it, you don’t “own” soccer in the state of MO - now that’s pitiful!
Just like I told you in other email: As an example - my 5th grader’s team went to STL in Sept and won the Gateway classic for their age group and while there were never any parent altercations the attitute we received was demeaning - like we didn’t belong and that the young boys efforts were just luck. BS - they outplayed the STL teams. It happens!
While the attitude you received from the parents of a 5th grade STL club team was inappropriate, there is no need use the HS state championship game as the battleground for “STL soccer bias” discussion.
That conversation is welcomed on many message boards across the state. Ole is providing a service for Southwest Missouri and shouldn’t be accosted for his covereage.
Rockhurst won the game, congratulate them and move on. The KC vs STL soccer bias discussion should continue somewhere else.
I have re-read Michler’s account of the championship game three times in the past 10 minutes to see if I could pick up on a bias that I missed upon my first reading the day it was posted. I could not. I read the following: SLUH had numerous chances during the match, but Christian Krueger and the Hawk defense came up big all day. When Rockhurst had a chance in the 56th minute, Alex Sweetin played a great ball to Peter O’Neill who finished nicely after drawing the keeper. Coach Lawson kept the boys well organized in defense of the goal for the final 24 minutes under some intense pressure from the Jr. Bills. Great game! The Hawks did what they had to do and brought home the championship.
I was not able to make the game this year, but after talking to friends who did Michler’s account correpsonds well with theirs. From where I sit in Springfield it appears that only somoeone with a biased slant would find bias in this description of the game.
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