Elkhorn girls edge Thunderbolts

OMAHA – Lincoln Pius X extended the match with an improbable goal but fell to Elkhorn 2-1 in a shootout in the Class B girls state soccer tournament semifinals on Saturday.

Elkhorn won the shootout 4-3, and will have a chance to defend its state championship.

The Thunderbolts’ Heather Feltes scored with four minutes remaining in regulation to send the game to overtime.

It happened after the Thunderbolts were awarded a free kick. The initial kick was deflected off an Elkhorn player, but bounced to Feltes, who booted the ball toward the goal. From 40 yards away, the ball lofted some 30 yards into the air, and dropped into the top of the goal out of the reach of the Elkhorn keeper.

Feltes admitted afterwards getting a shot on goal wasn’t her intention.

“I was actually trying to pass the ball into the box, but I hit it too hard,” she said.

“I didn’t even see it go in,” Feltes added. “I got knocked down, and when I got up I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, that went in, are you kidding me?’”

It wasn’t the weirdest goal of her career, though.

“It also happened at Beatrice,” she said.

Pius X coach Josh St. Pierrem was just happy his team scored, and praised Feltes’ effort.

“We told her any time the ball comes out just put it back in, (because) you never know what’s going to happen, and the outcome was a goal,” Pierrem said.

Cathleen Cox scored in the 50^th minute to give Elkhorn an early lead. Cox lofted a nifty shot from 16 yards away into the far corner of the net for her seventh goal of the season.

Elkhorn had most of the good scoring chances throughout the match.

“I think we came out a little timid,” Pierrem said, “but our team is comprised of a lot of youth. The second half we really picked it up. We were valiant today, I couldn’t have asked for any more.”

Pius X had a couple of other nice scoring opportunities in the final 10 minutes.

The Thunderbolts had been in two other shootouts this season, winning both.

I thought we were going to dominate,” Feltes said. “In the past we’ve done well.”

Elkhorn made all four of its attempts in the shootout.

Michelle Miller, Larissa Jondle and Sara Berens made penalty kicks for the Thunderbolts in the shootout.

On the fifth round of the shootout, the Thunderbolts’ Norma Volkmer watched her shot bounce off the cross bar, clinching Elkhorn’s victory.

The Thunderbolts (12-5) were playing in the state semifinals for the seventh straight season.

The season has been full of injuries for Pius X, including losing leading soccer Nancy Schueth.

“We’ve been decimated, but we brought up a lot of freshmen and sophomores who have really stepped in, and the future of this program looks great,” Pierrem said.

The Lincoln Pius X boys team plays Lincoln Lutheran Saturday at 6 p.m. in the Class B semifinals.