Fifth-ranked DCG too much for Newton boys soccer

GRIMES — Newton’s boys soccer team played very well in the first half of its Little Hawkeye Conference finale against Class 2A No. 5 Dallas Center-Grimes on Tuesday.

It was the second half that hurt the Cardinals as the Mustangs scored four times and won 5-0 at home to lock up a share of the conference title.

Newton dropped to 10-6 on the season and its 4-3 mark was good enough for fourth in the LHC.

“The first half was good,” Newton boys head soccer coach Zach Jensen said. “We played well. We had opportunities and even controlled play at times.

“It looked like we didn’t know how to play soccer in the second half. We made too many simple mistakes. We were basically taken to the woodshed.”

DCG (13-3, 6-1 in the LHC) scored late in the first half to lead 1-0 at halftime. The Mustangs piled up for four goals in the second half to pull away.

Class 2A No. 16 Newton is now 1-5 on the road and 9-1 at home. The first two postseason matches will be at H.A. Lynn Stadium, but the Cardinals will have to go to DCG and defeat the Mustangs on the road if they want to advance to state.

“Our record on the road is terrible,” Jensen said. “There’s something off when we get away from our home stadium. That’s on us coaches. We have to figure that out. I will take ownership in that.”

Five different players scored for DCG. Newton (10-6, 4-3) took 19 shots and nine shots on goal but couldn’t crack the scoreboard.

Caleb Lawson had seven saves in his 60 minutes in goal. Hunter Teague recorded one save in his 20 minutes.

Jensen said he pulled most of the starters 10-15 minutes into the second half. He liked how the reserves finished out the game.

“That’s a positive from this one,” Jensen said. “The guys who went in showed some fight and determination. The starters just didn’t have it mostly.”

The Cardinals open the postseason at H.A. Lynn Stadium against Central Iowa United at 7 p.m. on Thursday in Newton.