Collinsville, Ill – Entering the 2014 season, the O’Fallon Panthers had defeated the soccer Kahoks five consecutive times in the past three years, including three straight knock-out blows in regional play. Collinsville broke the streak Saturday.
Brett Langley fires the winning goal past the O’Fallon goalkeeper on Sept. 13, 2014 / Photo by Roger Starkey
Collinsville (3-1, 1-1 Southwestern Conference) thoroughly controlled the match from the opening kick-off, but a cracking O’Fallon (2-2, 1-2 SWC) goal 12 minutes 51 seconds from full-time caused anxiety on the Kahok sideline before the home team secured the 2-1 victory.
Junior Austin Reiniger got the Kahoks on the board at the 26:31 mark. After bouncing around the penalty box, the ball found Reiniger, who settled it and hit a left-footer across the face of the goal, past the diving goalkeeper and into the bottom left corner of the net for this first goal of the season.
The 1-0 lead lasted until the 64:18 mark, despite multiple Kahok chances. Senior Grant Bauer opened the second half with a run on goal, but his shot went wide right. Bauer had another run 11 minutes into the second frame, but was unable to get a solid boot on a ball he sent wide left. Less than one minute later, senior Sergio Perez hammered a one-timer in the penalty box high over goal.
Only three games into the season, CHS is still trying to find its goal-scoring identity, Head Coach Myles Hensler said. He plugged some players into different positions Saturday, to good effect.
“I was pretty satisfied with how we were able to get into the offensive half and create some chances,” Hensler said. “We probably should have had a couple more we put away, but that’s why you’ve got to create more chances.”
The Kahoks appeared to put the game away when Senior Brett Langley converted his second penalty kick of the season to extend the lead to 2-0 with 15:42 remaining. Collinsville was awarded the kick when a pair of O’Fallon defenders took down sophomore Zach Stenger in the penalty area.
Defending a two-goal lead with 15 minutes remaining, Collinsville no longer attacked on offense. O’Fallon began applying the bulk of the pressure and broke through with just under 13 minutes remaining.
Darrien McClain was left unmarked from 25 yards and fired a left-footer into the upper, left corner of the goal. The shot from distance may have caught sophomore goalkeeper Brett Niedzwiecki by surprise, Hensler said.
“Defensively we probably shouldn’t have given him that much space, but you have to give credit to the O’Fallon player, he hit a great shot,” Hensler said. “That’s why you shoot, you never know what’s going to happen.”
Collinsville travels to defending state champion Edwardsville Tuesday for a 6:45 p.m. match. The Tigers are 6-0-1 on the season.
