PKs end Lady Hounds season at Clear Creek-Amana

Fort Madison's Mary Kate Bendlage slips a penalty kick into the top of the net to give Fort Madison a slight 1-0 lead in a penalty kick tiebreaker session Tuesday night at Clear Creek-Amana. The Hounds would lose 1-0 (4-2 PKs) in the Class 2A regional semifinal and end their season at 12-4. Photo by Chuck Vandenberg/PCC

Posted Wednesday, May 25, 2022 12:05 am

Johnson records 24 saves to hold shutout and force penalty kick session

BY JOHN BOHNENKAMP
PCC SPORTS

TIFFIN — Carrie Burken wasn’t ready to give an analysis on Fort Madison’s girls soccer season.
The Bloodhounds’ coach wanted to keep playing.
“It doesn’t feel like the last game,” Burken said. “I feel like I’m going to see them at practice tomorrow. Which is kind of a bummer that I’m not going to.”
Fort Madison’s 1-0 (4-2) loss to Clear Creek-Amana in a Class 2A regional semifinal was a bitter finish to what had been the best season in program history.
The Bloodhounds went 12-4 and won a share of the Southeast Conference title. But a goal in regulation time and two overtime periods eluded them against the Clippers (10-7), who advance to Thursday’s regional final.

The Lady Hounds Alaina Simpson battles with CC-A senior Celia Dunn in the first half of Tuesday's Class 2A regional semifinal played at Clear Creek-Amana High School in Tiffin. Photo by Chuck Vandenberg/PCC

“We did everything we needed to do today, except getting just that one goal,” Burken said. “And sometimes that happens.
“I’m not disappointed with how we played, at all.”
Both teams had squandered chances to score on the windy night, so it came down to penalty kicks.
Mary Kate Bendlage gave Fort Madison a 1-0 lead with a goal that hit the top post and bounced past Clippers goalkeeper Alannah McKibben. Clear Creek-Amana tied it on a goal from Eva Plathe.
Fort Madison’s Coree James was next, but McKibben stopped her shot. Emma Berg gave the Clippers a 2-1 lead with her goal, then McKibben stopped a shot by Natalie Randolph. When Leah Evans sneaked a shot past Fort Madison keeper Taylor Johnson, the lead was 3-1 and the pressure was on the Bloodhounds to come up with an answer.
Camille Kruse scored over McKibben, keeping the Bloodhounds’ hopes alive, but Madeline Shade ended the match with a goal to the right of Johnson, and the Clippers swarmed the field to celebrate.
“Losing in PKs is always tough,” Burken said. “There’s very little to control, because you’re just that close.
“(Johnson) was amazing in goal. She did such a good job throughout the whole game. So it was tough for her to feel like she let the team down. She didn’t, in any way.”
Johnson recorded 24 saves on the night, 10 in the first half and five in the overtime sessions to hold the shut out.

Fort Madison's Taylor Johnson slides toward a penalty kick from the Clippers Leah Evans in the tiebreaker penalty kick session Tuesday night. The Hounds would lose the session 4-2 ending their season at 12-4, the program's best record ever. Photo by Chuck Vandenberg/PCC

The Bloodhounds worked on penalty kicks in Monday’s practice.
“I knew it was going to be close,” Burken said.
The Bloodhounds lose three senior starters — James, Anna Sobczak and Alana Simpson — but should return a strong core of players for next season.
“It’s been a really, really good season,” Burken said. “I felt like we built some momentum, and I’m really excited that we’re going to be bringing a lot of people back.”
The pain for the finish was still too real.
“I think that’s the biggest part, that it just doesn’t feel like it’s over,” Burken said. “And for a group that played so well this season and learned so much and grew so much, it’s tough for it to be done.”