Lutheran boys win on penalty kick
OMAHA — Walker Agee remains perfect on penalty kicks this season.
Lincoln Lutheran is pretty automatic when it comes to reaching the state semifinals, as well.
Agee scored on a penalty kick 56 minutes into the game, and that was the only score in the Warriors’ 1-0 victory against Waverly in the opening round of the Class B boys state soccer tournament on Friday morning.
Lincoln Lutheran advances to the state semifinals for the fifth straight season. In Saturday’s semifinals, Lincoln Lutheran will play Lincoln Pius X. The Thunderbolts have beaten Lincoln Lutheran twice previously this season.
Even though the state semifinals have become a habit, it still means something to Lincoln Lutheran. The Warriors have yet to reach the state finals.
“We don’t take it for granted,” Lincoln Lutheran senior Jeremiah Majorins said. “We work hard every season, and that’s our goal. We just have to take another step, because we have a great team.“
Lincoln Lutheran was awarded a penalty kick when freshman Isaiah Bockelman was tripped.
On the penalty kick, Agee drilled a line drive to the left corner of the goal.
“Mostly I go to that spot, but it just depends on how I feel when I step up there,” Agee said. “I saw the keeper go the other way right before I shot it.“
Agee had made three penalty kicks in regulation and two during shootouts this season. None of them were as big as this one.
“It felt amazing,” Agee said.
“At the beginning of the year, I honestly didn’t think we’d be in the semifinals. I thought we’d have a decent team, but I didn’t know we’d make it this far. We had lost a lot of seniors, and a lot of players that helped us out.“
Lincoln Lutheran faced a tough challenge but was able to stop the Vikings’ long runs and big-time goal scorers Andrew Bundy and Andrew Palmer.
“We can’t complain about the looks that we had, but soccer is like other sports, where it’s a game of inches,” Waverly coach Dan Jensen said. “But we never had super-clean looks, and they were always there. That’s one thing that makes Lincoln Lutheran good, they’re always there.“
Waverly (14-3) had its 10-game winning streak end. The Vikings played better than they did during a 3-1 loss to Lincoln Lutheran earlier this season, Jensen said.
“We had a defensive miscommunication, and they took full advantage and got the penalty kick,” he said.
And with that, Lincoln Lutheran is back in the state semifinals.
“It’s exciting because you’re one of the last four standing,” Lincoln Lutheran coach Nathan Bassett said.
Reach Brent C. Wagner at 473-7435 or bwagner@journalstar.com.
Lincoln Lutheran is pretty automatic when it comes to reaching the state semifinals, as well.
Agee scored on a penalty kick 56 minutes into the game, and that was the only score in the Warriors’ 1-0 victory against Waverly in the opening round of the Class B boys state soccer tournament on Friday morning.
Lincoln Lutheran advances to the state semifinals for the fifth straight season. In Saturday’s semifinals, Lincoln Lutheran will play Lincoln Pius X. The Thunderbolts have beaten Lincoln Lutheran twice previously this season.
Even though the state semifinals have become a habit, it still means something to Lincoln Lutheran. The Warriors have yet to reach the state finals.
“We don’t take it for granted,” Lincoln Lutheran senior Jeremiah Majorins said. “We work hard every season, and that’s our goal. We just have to take another step, because we have a great team.“
Lincoln Lutheran was awarded a penalty kick when freshman Isaiah Bockelman was tripped.
On the penalty kick, Agee drilled a line drive to the left corner of the goal.
“Mostly I go to that spot, but it just depends on how I feel when I step up there,” Agee said. “I saw the keeper go the other way right before I shot it.“
Agee had made three penalty kicks in regulation and two during shootouts this season. None of them were as big as this one.
“It felt amazing,” Agee said.
“At the beginning of the year, I honestly didn’t think we’d be in the semifinals. I thought we’d have a decent team, but I didn’t know we’d make it this far. We had lost a lot of seniors, and a lot of players that helped us out.“
Lincoln Lutheran faced a tough challenge but was able to stop the Vikings’ long runs and big-time goal scorers Andrew Bundy and Andrew Palmer.
“We can’t complain about the looks that we had, but soccer is like other sports, where it’s a game of inches,” Waverly coach Dan Jensen said. “But we never had super-clean looks, and they were always there. That’s one thing that makes Lincoln Lutheran good, they’re always there.“
Waverly (14-3) had its 10-game winning streak end. The Vikings played better than they did during a 3-1 loss to Lincoln Lutheran earlier this season, Jensen said.
“We had a defensive miscommunication, and they took full advantage and got the penalty kick,” he said.
And with that, Lincoln Lutheran is back in the state semifinals.
“It’s exciting because you’re one of the last four standing,” Lincoln Lutheran coach Nathan Bassett said.
Reach Brent C. Wagner at 473-7435 or bwagner@journalstar.com.
Copyright © 2002-2008 Lincoln Journal Star. All rights reserved.