March 28, 2024

PCM boys off to best start in years

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MONROE — PCM’s boys’ soccer team played in another close match on April 9.

And old PCM would have folded after giving up a halftime lead.

New PCM though is ready to turn the corner, and the Mustangs secured their first victory over a Heart of Iowa Conference opponent since April 20 of 2016 following a 2-1 home triumph over Class 1A No. 7 Nevada.

“We are happy with the win, but we don’t want to be satisfied,” PCM coach Darrin Telfer said. “It feels good. I am happy for the kids.”

Cody Wallace scored his first career goal to put the Mustangs up 1-0 at halftime. Nevada answered with the equalizer 16 minutes into the second half, but PCM went back in front in the 76th minute when Jason Stafford sent a long, hard boot to the right corner of the goal.

“The No. 1 thing for us is confidence,” Stafford said. “We didn’t play with a lot of confidence last night, but we came out tonight with confidence, came out with energy and fed off that the entire game.”

PCM’s last conference win came against North Polk in 2016. The Mustangs had not beaten Nevada in at least eight years.

PCM (3-1 overall, 1-1 in conference play) controlled much of the first half.

They took seven shots and put four on goal. The only one that went past Nevada goalie Gage Maiefski was the one off Wallace’s foot.

Wallace booted the ball from near midfield, and it was deflected by a leaping Maiefski before falling into the back of the net.

PCM goalie Gavin Burkman withstood a few shots on goal from Nevada in the first half. The Cubs came out firing in the second half, and Burkman stood up on most of the shots.

Nevada tied the game with 23:37 to play in regulation when Kody Kruschwitz’s shot attempt right at Burkman was mishandled after a bad bounce went off his finger.

“Goalies make a bunch of saves but everyone remembers the one you miss so I was happy we got the win even though I let one get by,” Burkman said. “Old PCM would have went to OT and might have lost. The new PCM is delivering and coming through in big moments.”

Burkman made several key saves after the tying goal, too. He kept the Cubs off the scoreboard the rest of the way and Stafford eventually won it with his first goal of the season.

Nevada (1-2, 0-1) took nine shots and put four shots on goal in the second half. Burkman made five stops in goal.

PCM 1, Collins-Maxwell 0 (OT)

MONROE — PCM started 0-4 last year and 0-5 in 2017. And the Mustangs didn’t get their third win in either season until several days into the month of May.

While the Mustangs’ April 11 overtime match against Collins-Maxwell wasn’t pretty and not PCM’s best effort, the end result was positive and the team is now 3-1 overall.

On a cold and windy night, junior Rayce Kohlhof sent the Mustangs home with a 1-0 victory in overtime.

Kohlhof scored his first career varsity goal in the 83rd minute.

“It felt great. It’s great to get the win,” Kohlhof said. “It was a tough game, but we persevered.”

The Mustangs won five matches all of last season. And they haven’t started 3-1 or won more than three matches total very many times in the last 10 years.

“I don’t think PCM has been 3-1 in a long time. It feels amazing, and we are hungry to get some more,” Kohlhof said.

PCM controlled the match from the opening minutes, but just couldn’t get the ball into the net. The wind caused problems for both teams, too.

The Mustangs had an 8-2 advantage in shots and a 3-0 surplus in corner kicks in the first half. They had nine more shots than the Spartans in the second half, too.

Collins-Maxwell (0-5) has yet to score a goal this season and only had two shots on goal against PCM.

Kohlhof’s game-winning goal came on the team’s first attempt in overtime. It was 2:19 into the extra session, and the shot came off a long throw in by Clark.

“We tried everything and challenged them. We tried to do whatever it took to win,” Telfer said.

PCM has five goals this season. And Kohlhof is the fifth different person to score.

Neither Telfer nor Kohlhof blamed the wind as a reason for the lack of scoring.

Telfer thinks playing a third match this week was a bigger factor.

PCM also played the game without junior Noah Hirayama, who is out until next week with a bruised foot.

“We may have been a little tired. I am happy for the kids though that they pulled this one out,” Telfer said. “It feels pretty good, but we can always be better. We will keep challenging them.”

Gilbert 2, PCM 0

MONROE — Class 2A No. 12 Gilbert scored both of its goals on corner kicks and handed PCM its first and only loss of the season with a 2-0 road win on April 8.

Gilbert is 6-0 overall and 1-0 in HOIC play.

GIRLS SOCCER

Nevada 10, PCM 0

NEVADA — Class 1A No. 5 Nevada won its third match in a row following a 10-0 win over PCM in girls’ soccer action during HOIC action on April 9.

The Mustangs (0-2 overall, 0-1 in conference play) only had two shots in the match, both of which were taken by sophomore Emma George. Senior goalie Camilla Schlosser had 15 saves.

Mayzi Weig had three goals and one assist to lead Nevada (3-1, 1-0). Kayla Dunson collected two goals and one assist and Addi Vorm also scored twice.