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Go out on your shield: Wildcats best Allen in physical affair
BY Matt Welch, mwelch@starlocalnews.com
The Plano Senior boys soccer team took the pitch at Clark East Field Friday night mere minutes after it was solidified that their 2012-13 season wouldn't include a playoff berth.
On paper, the Wildcats had nothing to play for beyond pride and that motivator was all that was needed to carry Plano (2-6-2) past Allen (4-3-3), 2-0, in the team's season finale.
"This is the best they've played all season," said Doug Adams, Plano head coach. "I'm extremely proud of how well they played tonight. Whether they were seniors or juniors, they played with pride and even though it got chippy for a while, they held their composure."
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Fortunately for the Wildcats, their best crack at Allen junior keeper C.J. Hendricks came in the fourth minute of the match. It was one they promptly cashed in on after senior Jessey Hein fed a high entry pass that cleared the Eagles' back line and fell right into the crosshairs of senior Daniel Tomeny, who promptly booted the ball in for an early 1-0 lead.
The early shot on goal was anything but ominous, with both teams able to muster just one attempt on net for the remainder of the first half.
With just three total shots on goal in the opening 40 minutes, that figure proved just one better than the number of cards distributed to penalize the physical play. Plano senior Mitchell Johnson picked up a yellow card in the 30th minute and Allen junior John Ridgely was sent to the bench after receiving a red card in the 38th minute.
"There's no love lost between us until after the game," said Bryan Hantak, Allen head coach. "The cards were a little disappointing and we lost our composure at some points, but our boys battled and I'm proud of them."
For Allen, its possession-heavy style was in full force Friday, spending plenty of time jockeying for position near Plano's goal. But the clean looks and requisite finishes never came, with seniors Alec Bidwell, Erik Gilman and Michael Gomon aiding in Plano's stonewall-ish defensive effort.
"[Plano] did a great job pressuring us," Hantak said. "They worked hard and they earned it. I thought we played well, but just couldn't finish. [Plano] packed it in once they got their goal and did a good job."
The Eagles nearly answered back in the 47th and 60th minutes with a pair of shots that passed Plano junior keeper Curtis Peters and slowly trickled towards the goal line, only to be booted out by junior Joe Niece to keep the Wildcats' advantage intact.
The cards still piled as the night progressed. Plano junior Cody Ganze was issued a yellow in the 46th minute and Allen was dealt its second red card in the 78th minute after a throw-in by senior Austin Robinson bounced squarely off Johnson's face -- leaving the Eagles to play 11-on-9 for the final two minutes of the match.
"It's tough. The last time we played Plano, the same thing happened where we got a couple of cards and ended up winning with nine players," Hantak said. "It's always been a battle with Plano and we love each other, but we hate each other."
The Wildcats made the Eagles pay, with Hein cashing in on the team's 17th free kick of the match with a shot from just outside the corner of the box that deflected downward off the crossbar and knocked through for a goal by senior Steven Cypert to give Plano the 2-0 edge with 43 seconds to play.
"Jessey has been a great central focus for us all year long," Adams said. "BYU will be lucky to have him come on board to help them out. He's never been short of heart and getting out there to give it his all."
It was a welcome sight for a Plano team that finished outside the playoff picture for the first time since the 2003-04 season. The Eagles, locked into third place in 10-5A, will host Jesuit in bi-district play Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
For continued news and coverage on the local sports scene, follow @MWelchSCN on Twitter.
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