Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – A penalty kick shootout in soccer has the potential to be one of the most nerve-wracking moments in sports.

City High felt a lot of different emotions leading up to the penalty kicks that would decide its annual cross-town showdown with West High but nervousness wasn’t among them.

Senior keeper Claire Smothers was excited and Kelsey Dilanni was confident.

Fellow senior Maclayne Menzel said she felt great entering the shootout and head coach Corbin Scholz sensed relief from her team.

The result was an impressive shootout performance and a win for ninth-ranked City High.

Smothers had a pair of saves as Class 3A No. 9 City High outscored No. 11 West High 2-0 in the penalty kick shootout to secure a 2-1 win over the Trojans at the University of Iowa Soccer Complex in Iowa City.

“I was getting excited the closer it got and I had to remind myself to take a deep breath and make sure to finish it all the way,” Smothers said. “As the second half was winding down I was thinking about it and I got really excited because it’s a time I can step up for the team and really finish it.”

Menzel scored the game-tying goal with 9:22 remaining and after 20 minutes of scoreless overtime play Smothers shined in penalty kicks as City High avenged a 1-0 loss to West High last season.

The win was the fourth in five games for City High (12-3) which had lost three of the previous four matches with West High.

“This is our senior year and this is just what we wanted,” Menzel said. “We went into it and it’s always who wants it more and I think we wanted it more and we showed that.”

West High (10-4) snapped a scoreless tie when Ava Garcia hammered a loose ball into the upper half of the goal from just in front of the net to give the Trojans a 1-0 lead with 31:11 remaining.

City High nearly equalized with under 12 minutes to play but West High keeper Lauryn Hynek made a sensational sliding save on a one-on-one opportunity with City High senior Mia Larson.

The Little Hawks got even just a few minutes later when Menzel headed into a perfectly placed corner kick from senior Kelsey Dilanni.

“We work on corners a lot and I just try to play the same ball all the time,” Dilanni said. “I try to put it on that spot and I know that players will finish the play.”

Dilanni sent a ball soaring toward the back post and Menzel got enough on it to redirect it past Hynek and into the right side of the goal.

“Kelsey always plays a good ball in there and we know what to do with them,” Menzel said. “She deserves 99 percent of the credit for those goals.”

Hynek kept it tied with a leaping save with 1:25 remaining and sent the match to overtime.

It was Smothers that starred in goal in the shootout.

“Getting penalty kicks at the end I think they felt a sense of relief in a way because this is something that we work on often,” Scholz said. “They were ready for this and they did a really good job and they finished the game the way they wanted to.”

The first West High attempt of the shootout sailed high and after Ava Bell connected with her penalty kick Smothers came up with a save that gave the Little Hawks all the momentum.

“It definitely brought the energy up,” Smothers said. “I just made sure to calm down and do my job.”

Menzel made it 2-0 Little Hawks and a second save by Smothers sealed the win for City High.

“Claire is an exceptional keeper and we are really happy to have her,” Scholz said. “Nothing she did today really surprised me. She has been an excellent keeper for us the last two years and tonight was her moment to shine. It’s been what she has been working towards and she did an excellent job.”

Did you enjoy this subscription free article? Help keep Your Prep Sports free by donating.