Susan Harman

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – The first half of West High’s boys soccer match against Cedar Rapids Kennedy featured frenetic activity.

The end-to-end action served two purposes: it provided a number of scoring chances for both teams, and it kept the players warm on a cold night.

Tenth-ranked West scored twice in the second half to pull away and defeated the Cougars 3-1. West improved to 4-0 in MVC play and 5-2 overall. Kennedy is 2-2, 2-2.

The Trojans scored the lone first-half goal on a header by Gada Ambo, his fifth of the season.

“My player saw me and I felt like I was going to hit it back in,” Ambo said. “I just redirected it. I didn’t think I had enough power into it, but it went in.”

West keeper Zachary Albright made several fine saves in close quarters, as the Cougars used their speed to put pressure on West’s defense.

“They got some good looks,” West coach Brad Stiles said. “It was good positioning by him.”

The Trojans got some breathing room when Michael Schilling scored his first goal of the season in the 56th minute.

Schilling’s goal came after he smashed a low shot that appeared headed for a goal inside the far post.

A diving stab by the Cougar keeper Gavon Barton saved the shot, but West recovered the ball off to the side and Schilling got a second shot at it. This time his shot trickled away from Barton and into the net.

“It’s kind of like our team, we all regroup as a team,” Schilling said. “If we lose the ball we’re going to try to win it back again. I don’t know, just right place at the right time.”

West’s third goal came four minutes later after a streaking Ambo was flipped in the box. Harry Zielinski scored on the ensuing penalty kick.

Schilling and Ambo both said they thought West’s depth played a factor in the second half.

“We were ready for them, and we brought the intensity,” Ambo said.

“Most schools only have like three or four off the bench, but at West High we have like literally 12 people who can play off the bench,” Schilling said. “You have to give a shout out to Brad Stiles for having trust in all the players.”

Kennedy cracked the scoreboard with 13 minutes remaining on a header by Alan Kim. He has seven of Kennedy’s nine goals scored this year.

“I think we could have finished a couple more of our chances in and around the box, and unfortunately we allowed them one at the end of the game under a little undue pressure,” Stiles said. “So that’s a little more of a learning curve for these guys.”

West meets rival City High Friday at the University of Iowa soccer complex.