Central Iowa United boys rally past PCM

MONROE — The Central Iowa United boys’ soccer team flipped its script against PCM on Thursday.

Every time the Mustangs thought they had momentum, CIU would answer right back to take some away.

Eventually, the visitors would grab the momentum entirely and used a big second half to down PCM 4-2 during a Heart of Iowa Athletic Conference matchup.

“Against Newton and Benton, we’d score and then they’d come right back and score on us,” Central Iowa United head boys soccer coach John Fuller said. “So it was good to do that to this team.

“Those times after goals are scored and right after kickoffs are when some players’ mentality is at their worst.”

Central Iowa United has been better in second halves most of the season. Against PCM, the visitors trailed 1-0 and 2-1 but rallied both times and scored the only two goals of the second half to pull away.

Colfax-Mingo’s Austin Lane scored two goals and dished out two assists in the victory. His penalty-kick goal in the first half tied the score and then his second goal of the match gave CIU a lead that was too much for PCM to overcome.

“We improved our level of intensity defensively (in the second half),” Lane said. “I kept getting in my own head in the first half. Me getting down made some of the team also get down. Once we got our energy up, we played a lot better.”

PCM (2-4 overall, 0-2 in the conference) and CIU took about the same number of shots and shots on goal in the first half and both teams scored twice.

Justin Johnston got PCM on the board in the 16th minute. He got loose in the open field after taking a through ball from Dominic Witt. Johnston did the rest, beating CIU goalie Lucas Barnes for the goal.

The lead was short-lived though as CIU’s Josh Pinnick tied the game 22 seconds later. That goal came off an assist by Lane.

Caden Bouwkamp, PCM’s leading scorer this spring, put the Mustangs back up when he scored an unassisted goal in the 22nd minute. He now has six goals and 14 points this season.

“We communicated well, came out with some energy and played together,” PCM head soccer coach Darrin Telfer said. “As soon as halftime hit, I’m not sure what happened. We just lost our energy and our focus.”

The Lane penalty kick came less than 1 minute after Bouwkamp gave PCM the lead. Gage Byal was tackled in the box and Lane converted the PK against Mustang keeper Alex Egland.

“Those were big goals. Every time we got some motivation or some momentum, they scored quick to pop our balloon,” Telfer said. “We took a minute or two off and there goes the momentum. Some of that is growing pains. We are playing a lot of young kids, and we are just looking for someone to step up and show some leadership.”

Central Iowa United (2-5, 1-2) controlled things in the second half. It held a 6-1 advantage in shots on goal and took five of the six corner kicks.

Baxter’s Ben Richardson gave CIU its first and last lead when he scored a little more than two minutes into the second half.

That Lane assist gives him six assists this season. It was Richardson’s seventh goal of the season, which ranks tied for eighth in Class 3A.

“Truthfully, we had the wind in the second half and that helps,” Fuller said. “They chose the wind in the first half. We got better through balls and better one-on-ones with the goalkeeper in the second half, too.”

The victory snaps Central Iowa United’s five-match losing skid. Barnes finished with seven saves and Egland had four saves for PCM.

Notes: Lane’s six goals this season ranks 12th in 3A, his six assists sit fifth in 3A and his 18 points are tied for eighth in the class. Barnes now has 86 saves this spring, which ranks second in 3A. “Give credit to them. They did what they needed to do and we didn’t respond,” Telfer said about Central Iowa United. “They made a few good passes and executed better than we did for sure, and I think we got a little lazy and lost our trust in each other. We lost our focus.” … Fuller does a somersault after every CIU victory. That tradition started back in 2005.

PCM 7, Sigourney 2

MONROE — Bouwkamp scored three times, Witt added two goals and the Mustangs downed Sigourney 7-2 during a home non-conference match on Friday.

The Mustangs led 5-0 at halftime and both teams scored twice in the second half.

Both of PCM’s wins this spring have come against Sigourney, which fell to 4-2. The Mustangs opened the regular season with a 1-0 road win over the Savages.

Johnston tallied one goal and one assist, William Vanderpool scored one goal and Bouwkamp and Witt each had one assist to go along with their goals.

The Mustangs took 13 shots and nine of them were on target. Egland made three saves as the PCM keeper.

Nevada 10, PCM 0

MONROE — Drew Robinson scored six goals and dished out two assists, Edgar Cabrera tallied one goal and three assists and Sam Betting contributed four assists during Nevada’s 10-0 HOIAC win over PCM on April 11.

The Class 2A No. 4 Cubs scored five goals in each half. Nevada (6-1, 2-0) had a 26-1 advantage in shots and the Cubs put 13 shots on goal.