Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Sydney DePrenger figured it was only a matter of time.

Michael Prunty knew it was coming too.

Really, just about everyone in City High red and white sensed the Little Hawks were on the verge of a breakthrough.  

It took a little longer than expected but City High finally got the goal and win that it needed.DePrenger scored on a breakaway 58 seconds into the second overtime to lift Class 3A No. 14 City Hig

h to a 2-1 win over 2A No. 11 Union in a non-conference matinee Saturday afternoon at City High.

“We kept playing that same ball so we knew exactly how we had to score and we knew it was going to get there one those times,” DePrenger said. “We kept building up and making that run so we knew exactly where we had to put the ball.”

City High (1-1) had a halftime lead disappear when Union (1-1) pulled even on an Emma Rottinghaus goal with 22:30 left.

The Little Hawks had chances to close it out in regulation but failed to connect on several runs by DePrenger.

After nearly 11 minutes of overtime the DePrenger run that City High saw coming finally came and the senior forward didn’t let it go to waste.

“We knew Sydney would have her moment,” Prunty said. “She had a couple this game and she just couldn’t take it and she couldn’t take it and finally she had that moment and could take it and was able to score.”

Just 30 seconds into the second overtime freshman Stella Foster played a ball to a sprinting DePrenger down the left sideline.

DePrenger took the pass, bolted down the field and beat Union goalkeeper Jasmyn Bush with a shot into the right side of the goal for the game winner.

“Stella and I had a really good combination and that split all their defenders up and when I got the ball I was able to turn and there was more space for me to run,” DePrenger said. “Luckily it was on my right foot so I was able to turn my hips and pop it.”

The first goal of the season for DePrenger provided the perfect ending for City High which struggled offensively in a 2-0 season-opening loss to No. 12 Pleasant Valley on Tuesday.

“It felt good especially because it was overtime,” DePrenger said. “It felt good just for a confidence booster for our team because we’ve been in a slump for a few games so it was a good confidence booster for us.”

City High scored its first goal of the season with less than four minutes to go in the first half when Shawna O’Malley put away a loose ball in front of the net.

DePrenger made a run down the sideline and played a ball back into the box where O’Malley put it away after a couple of touches.

“We practice that where we get in line and play a ball back into the six,” Prunty said. “Our striker Emma (Seydel) was ab

le to occupy the goal keeper a little bit and Shawna came in and they arrived all at the same time and it created a bit of confusion and we were able to tuck the ball away.”Union got even on the Rottinghaus blast and survived a flurry of City High offense in the final 10 minutes of regulation.

The Little Hawks best chance late came on a DePrenger run that resulted in a tipped save by Bush that set up a City High corner.

“For a young team going through an overtime and getting a win kind of naturally builds confidence,” Prunty said. “Some of our younger less experienced players took a step forward today, they did things we hadn’t seen them do yet and we are happy that we saw some progress. We made it tougher on us than we should have but I think we are happy we took some steps and players improved and we were able to do enough to get the result.”