Sunday, October 5, 2008

Janicek's Goal is Golden

Janicek’s goal is golden
Kewpies defeat Bruins in PKs.


By STEVE WALENTIK of the Tribune’s staff
Published Thursday, October 2, 2008



Parker Eshelman photo
Camron Hermann blocks a shot in the first half of Hickman’s 3-2 overtime win last night against Rock Bridge. Hermann also made a key stop in penalty kicks to preserve the win.

Colin Janicek laughed right along with his Hickman soccer teammates as they ribbed him last night after their thrilling victory over crosstown rival Rock Bridge.

"It’s about time you scored a goal," one of them said sarcastically to the sophomore forward as the triumphant Kewpies gathered their belongings from their bench on LeMone Field.

Janicek didn’t just score a goal. His blast into the top right corner of the net was the goal that clinched Hickman’s 3-2 - 4-2 penalty kicks - victory over the Bruins.

"It’s pretty awesome. I’m just pumped right now," said Janicek, who was swarmed by teammates almost as soon as the ball hit the net.

After playing to a 2-2 tie through two overtimes, Janicek, playing his first varsity season with only one goal to his name, said he felt a little nervous as he trotted from midfield toward the goal to take his turn facing off against Bruins goalkeeper Frank Bowman.

Already, the pressure of the shootout had gotten to players on both sides. Rock Bridge’s Rhys McCracken ripped his shot off the crossbar to give Hickman the early upper hand, 2-1. Bowman kept it that way by sprawling to his left to block Mason Morawitz’s shot, but Hickman goalkeeper Camron Hermann answered it by diving to his left to deny Adam Ross.

"Adam looked that way, and so I was just going to go that way, and then he did," said Hermann, who was facing penalty kicks for the first time this season. "I got lucky."

Sophomore Andy Atkins followed with a goal against Bowman that gave the Kewpies (7-1-1) a 3-1 lead and ensured they could not lose the shootout regardless of the outcome of Janicek’s shot. But Josh Hulen’s goal left the Bruins (3-7-1) in a position to tie if Janicek didn’t deliver.

"I haven’t made one in a really long time, so it was new," Janicek said. "My teammates, they were acting pretty cool about it. They were like, ‘Come on, Colin, you can do it.’ But I had my doubts."

Janicek’s goal was a demoralizing blow to Rock Bridge. Ross didn’t feel like talking about the loss afterward, and he wasn’t the only Bruins player looking a little shell-shocked after watching their two-goal rally spoiled.

Rock Bridge found itself in an early hole as Taylor Cox stuffed in the first goal in the 11th minute of the opening half. The ball wound up on Cox’s foot after Morawitz’s throw-in skipped off the hand of Bowman, who was trying to punch it out of the penalty area.

The Bruins were still searching for the equalizer six minutes after intermission. They worked the ball deep into Hickman territory, only to have it spit back out toward midfield. Morawitz appeared to knock it down with his hand, but there was no call, and he turned and dribbled down the open middle of the field before sending it ahead to Cox on the sideline.

Cox reached the penalty area before any Rock Bridge defender could slow him down, and he unleashed a low and hard shot at the far post. Bowman punched it wide of the goal, but there was no defender close enough to clear. It ended up on the foot of Matt Baker, who fired it into the back of the net to give the Kewpies a 2-0 lead.

Considering their struggles to score goals this season, the Bruins might easily have felt doomed by such a deficit. But they didn’t pack it in, not even after an apparent goal was waved off by an offsides call in the 23rd minute of the second half.

Travis Ward finally got Rock Bridge on the board when he muscled the ball past Hermann in the 26th minute of the second half, and it took the Bruins less than two minutes to even things up thereafter. Bryan Jones one-timed a low corner kick by Hulen through traffic and into the goal with about 13½ minutes remaining in regulation. They just couldn’t figure out a way to force in one more.

Rock Bridge Coach Kyle Austin couldn’t help but a feel a little upbeat, even after a loss.

"I loved the heart," Austin said. "They showed a ton of heart going down 2-0, and against a crosstown rival when the fans are against them at an opposing field, to be able to battle back like that, it shows how far we’ve come as a team this season, to be able to face some adversity and do that."



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Reach Steve Walentik at (573) 815-1788 or swalentik@tribmail.com.
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Driving Directions

  • WAYNESVILLE : Take 63 South Towards Jeff City. Take US-54 W thru Osage Beach to Camdenton. Take MO Hwy 5 South to Lebanon , MO.Continue on MO Hwy 5 South to I-44 E towards Waynesville, MO. Take Exit 156, toward WAYNESVILLE/FORT LEONARD WOOD. Turn LEFT onto HIGHWAY H/I-44-BL/MO-H. Continue to follow I-44-BL.Turn RIGHT onto MO-17/W I-44-BL.1001 HISTORIC 66 W.
  • QUINCY TOURNAMENT IN QUINCY ILLINOIS: From Columbia Take 70 West to Kingdom City. Take 54 North to Mexico and then 54 east and north (54/19) to Laddonia. From Laddonia take 19 North to New London and then 61 North to Hannibal. When you get to Hannibal, you will need to take a right at the sign that says Quincy or to Illinois or to Springfield which is hwy 72 across the river. You will then pick up Highway 172 north to Quincy. In Quincy take the Broadway exit and go left.The fields we are playing on are located on State Street. The streets in Quincy that run West to East are numbered streets. The Mississippi River is to the West and the street numbers get higher the further East you go. When you enter from highway 172 the first street you will see is 48th street. Go left. At State St turn right and the park is a few blocks on the right. The Paul Dennis Complex is located on State between 36th and 48th street.
  • JEFFERSON CITY- 179 SOCCER PARK: Take 63 to Jeff City. Across the river take Hwy 50 toward Sedalia. Take the hwy 179 exit and turn right onto 179. The soccer park is about 3 miles on your left.
  • DESMET High school from CBC High school (about 3 miles): leave CBC and turn left (east) onto N Forty Dr. Turn right onto Conway Rd. Follow Conway Rd to left at S New Ballas Rd and it is about 1.2 miles to the high school at 233 N. New Ballas Rd.
  • CBC High school in St Louis: about 1 hour and 50 minutes. Take I-70 east to US40E/US61S just past Wentzville. Head toward Chesterfield/Forrest Park. About 23 miles to Mason Rd exit. Take S Mason Rd north back over the highway. Turn right on N. Forty Dr and the high school is on your left about a mile at 1850 De la Salle Dr.
  • CAMDENTON: Hwy 54 out of Jeff City to Hwy 5 in Camdenton. Turn left (east) on to Hwy 5. Continue on Hwy 5 for 5 or 6 blocks and can see the school campus on your left (north side of road). Turn on to Dare Blvd and the stadium is a block or two behind the schools.
  • SMITHTON TOURNAMENT: I-70 west to Booneville. Exit on Hwy 5 south. From Hwy 5 take Hwy 50 west. Go to Hwy W and turn south. Follow Hwy W into Smithton. Turn east on to E. Washington St. (I think this is a continuation of Hwy W), Turn right (south) on to Myrtle Ave and the school is 550 Myrtle Ave. Games are at the school.
  • ROLLA: Hwy 63 out of Jefferson City. Continue on Hwy 63 into Rolla. Turn left (east) on to 10th St. Continue on 10th St about 8 blocks to N. Cedar St. High School is at corner of N. Cedar and 10th St. Soccer field is behind the high school.