May 01, 2024

Cardiac Cards

Newton boys advance in state tournament following another double-overtime victory

DES MOINES — Fourth-ranked Bondurant-Farrar came into the state tournament ranked third in Class 2A with 91 goals. Two players have scored at least 20 goals and the Bluejays’ 68 assists also ranked in the top three.

But like it has been for the past four matches, Newton’s defense was up to the challenge and another double-overtime contest went to the Cardinals.

Derek Beiner scored his 16th goal of the season in the 95th minute and the Golden goal sent the Cardinals to a 2-1, double overtime victory on Wednesday during the Iowa High School State Soccer Championships at James W. Cownie Soccer Park.

“I think I have some lost hair and maybe have some gray hair after that one, but it’s survive and advance,” Newton boys soccer coach Zach Jensen said. “That’s what this tournament is about.”

It was the fourth straight win for Newton and the Cardinals have allowed just three goals during that stretch. And it came after allowing five in a loss to Dallas Center-Grimes in the regular-season finale.

Newton improved its season record to 14-6 and the win against the second-seeded Bluejays (17-3) was the Cardinals’ first state tournament win since 1996.

“It feels fantastic. The 2018 team was happy to be here because it had been 22 years,” Jensen said. “This year’s team needed more than that. We are here to win a game, win a second game and win a championship. A qualifying banner in the gym was not going to be good enough.”

The Cardinals next face second-ranked and third-seeded Council Bluffs Lewis Central (16-3) in a 2A semifinal at 2:40 p.m. on Friday. It will be played on the same pitch — “Coach” Cownie Field — as the one Newton played on Wednesday.

The other semifinal matchup features No. 6 Gilbert (17-2) and No. 8 Pella (18-2).

Bondurant-Farrar averaged 4.55 goals per match this season. The Bluejays were held to less than two goals for only the fourth time this spring.

“It’s about preparing and planning,” Jensen said. “We knew who we wanted to shut down and knew where to put the ball in their weak areas. We did that for the most part, but I’m not sure the game plan worked as well as it did against DCG. A win is a win though.”

The Cardinals’ defense was up to the challenge against a high-scoring Bluejays offense. Caleb Gymer (29) and Titus Cram (21) came in the match with at least 20 goals. Neither of them scored against Newton and freshman Landon Bozarth was largely responsible for Gymer throughout the match.

“The kid has been a stud all year. Most people who scout us try to get the ball to his side because he’s a freshman and he’s a smaller guy,” Jensen said. “You can hear the coaches during the game telling their team to play that side. But Landon is fantastic. He’s been great all season.”

Newton goalie Caleb Lawson said Bozarth played the best game of his career in the Cardinals’ biggest match of the season.

“Landon had to guard one of their best players on the left side,” Lawson said. “(Gymer) is one of their best players and Landon locked him down. He didn’t get a goal, which was huge.”

Lawson was pretty big, too. He stopped a hard-hit shot in the ninth minute to keep the Bluejays off the board and then was up to the challenge on a B-F penalty kick in the 14th minute.

The senior goalie said he watched HUDL film on B-F to get a feel of what they do on PKs but also got an assist from his brother, Christian Lawson.

“My brother was standing behind the shooter. He told me to dive that way so I did it and hoped he was right,” said Caleb Lawson, who had nine saves.

Christian Lawson was right and the save on the penalty kick kept B-F scoreless.

It remained 1-0 at halftime and stayed at that score until the Bluejays tied it with an equalizer in the 74th minute.

Ethan Osborne made it 1-all with his header off a Bluejays’ corner kick.

Nate Lampe scored his 12th goal of the season in the 2nd minute. He got an open look at the goal following a fantastic through ball pass by Bryar Annee. It was the seventh assist this spring for Annee.

“Our game plan coming in was to play the diagonal ball,” Lampe said. “Bryar just sent me a beautiful ball and I was fortunate enough to get to it. We have practiced that kind of situation a lot. We just executed it.”

The match stayed tied through regulation and after the first overtime. Like they did against DCG in the substate championship game, the Cardinals scored midway through double overtime to seal the win.

A throw in by Lampe went within a few feet of the goal and after contact by a B-F defender, Beiner sent the ball into the net with his left foot.

“I thought I was lazy. I just sat back side waiting for Nate to throw it in,” Beiner said. “We knew he had an arm so I just sat and waited. It went off a defender, I took one touch with my right foot and shot it with my left. There was nothing else to it. It was a pretty easy shot.”

That was Beiner’s team-best 42nd point of the season. He said the entire team felt great about their situation heading into double overtime.

“We were gassed. I was tired. I didn’t think I played my best game. I was sloppy,” Beiner said. “But we went into the second overtime, because of the way the DCG game went, and we felt very comfortable. We had just been there before and we knew what we were doing. We just wanted to go make magic again.

“It feels pretty freaking awesome. I have never experienced a game-winning goal like that.”

Newton finished with 21 shots and 10 shots on goal, and the Cardinal defense limited Bondurant-Farrar unofficially to 15 shots and eight shots on goal.

“Everyone played great for all 95 minutes or whatever it was. We came through,” Bozarth said. “We had our midfielders come back to support the defense. We played with a lot of heart and desire and just wanted it. We felt the energy from the crowd. It was awesome.”

Notes: Both teams had a couple of near goals either late in regulation or in overtime. Newton sophomore Cody Klein had a hard shot go off the crossbar with 3:30 to play in regulation. With 3:23 to play in overtime, Caleb Lawson made a save on an open shot by the Bluejays. … This match was eerily similar to the substate title game against DCG. Newton lost a 1-0 lead in that one, too. “You get into overtime, and it becomes nothing about soccer,” Jensen said. “It’s about hunger, desire and who wants it more.” … Lampe had one goal and one assist in the win. He now has 12 goals, eight assists and 33 points this season. “It’s been a long time,” Lampe said referencing the last time Newton won a match at the state tournament. “It’s crazy that we were the team that ended that streak.” ... Newton’s Friday opponent, Lewis Central, was the 2A state champion in 2019.