Central men ousted from NCAA soccer tournament
DECORAH— Roaring back from a 2-0 deficit in the second half, the Central College men’s soccer team lost on a heart-breaking goal in the game’s final minutes in a 3-2 defeat against the University of Wisconsin – Superior in the opening of the NCAA Division III tournament Saturday night.
The Dutch end their season with a 14-4-2 mark. The Yellow Jackets (17-3-2) advanced to the second round against Luther College Sunday at 3 p.m.
After yielding two goals in the first half, Central struck five minutes into the second half on a Charlie Pritchard (freshman, forward, Ankeny) tally. Senior defender Taylor Petkovich (senior, Littleton, Colo., Heritage HS) added the assist.
“It was a great serve and a great header,” Laidlaw said. “It got us right back in the game and we felt we could come back and win it.
Central equalized as forward Alec Lank (freshman, Bettendorf) connected with defender Brant Mueller (sophomore, Bettendorf) at the 79:04 mark. It was Mueller’s second goal of the year and Lank’s first assist.
“Alec was always in the plans if we were down a goal late,” Laidlaw said. “We’re usually trying to get him on the other end of that service so it was great he was able to provide the service.”
Wis.-Superior retook the lead for good at 86:20 with the game-winning goal.
The Dutch had plenty of chances, outshooting the Yellow Jackets 33-13. Central also had 10 shots on frame compared to six for Wis.-Superior. The Dutch also had a 4-3 advantage on corner kicks.
In addition to Petkovich, five other Central seniors put the uniform on for the last time. Defender Landon Daniels (Webster City), goalkeeper Andrew Mathys (Elburn, Ill., Kaneland HS), forward Ian Meentemeyer (Hartsburg, Mo., Southern Boone County HS), midfielder Michael Anderson (Rosemount, Minn.) and midfielder Ben Turnley (Manhattan, Kan.). Two other seniors, forward Dillon Mass (Freedom, Wis.) and defender Evan Kratochvil (Longmont, Colo., Niwot HS) were also with the team.
“The quality of the senior leadership in this group cannot be underestimated,” Laidlaw said. “We’re going to have to figure out a way to replace those guys and hopefully mentor the other guys into the type of leadership they have provided.”
For the 2020 season, Central returns eight starters and 18 of the 24 players dressed for Saturday’s match.
“We’re excited for the future,” Laidlaw said. “They’ve done a lot of good things for us already and we can’t wait to see what they are capable of doing going forward.”
