CYC SOCCER TOURNEY: Alton blanks Mascoutah, but misses out on top two seed; Marquette tops Timberland

AHS goes 3-0 in CYC Tourney,but misses out on a top two seed

Pete Hayes, phayes@thetelegraph.com

 Updated 6:47 am CDT, Thursday, September 27, 2018

Photo:

Pete Hayes | The Telegraph

IMAGE 1 OF 4

Alton’s Blake Dunse (4) puts the ball just beyond the reach of Mascoutah goalie Stephen Schulte and scores during Wednesday’s CYC Soccer Tournament pool play game at World Wide Technology Soccer Park in

... more

FENTON, Mo. — With his team already leading Mascoutah 7-0 late in Wednesday’s CYC Tournament pool game, Alton coach Nick Funk was nonetheless a bit nervous when his team gave up a free kick just outside the Redbirds’ penalty area.

Alton goalie Owen Macias came up with a diving one-handed save just inside the left goal post, preserving the shutout - which was critical for the Redbirds, who went on to win 8-0 at World Wide Technology Soccer Park.

“Things were really up in the air,” Funk said. “Going into this game, we really knew nothing about what our result would give us, regardless of what that result was. All we knew was that max points was our only real shot at getting the No. 1 or No. 2 seed and a bye Friday night.”

As it turned out, the Redbirds won’t get a top two seed after all. In late results Wednesday night, Triad and Columbia each posted lopsided shutout victories, dropping Alton to the No. 3 spot at best. Triad beat Affton 10-0 and Columbia downed Washington, Missouri 5-0.

In another late result Wednesday, Marquette Catholic knocked off Timberland 4-2. The Explorers finish pool play 2-0-1.

With a new format to determine which teams advance, Funk still wasn’t sure after the game how his team stood, despite going 3-0 in pool play. Instead of pool winners automatically advancing, the top six teams point-wide after three game will advance. And even though Funk was sure the Redbirds would indeed move on in the tourney, he was hoping to be one of the top two teams, thus skipping the play-in games set for Friday at Soccer Park.

“Not having to play Friday would have been huge for rest,” Funk said.

Teams received four points in the pool standingts for each victory, two points for a tie and one point for a shutout. The maximum point possible for one game is five points and the max for three games is 15. After its three games, Alton, which is 3-0 in the tourney and 6-3-4 overall, has 14 points. The Redbirds defeated Troy Buchanan High 3-0 Monday and edged Mehlville 3-2 Tuesday.

Triad and Columbia each finished pool play with 15 points.

Mascoutah’s Indians fell to 9-10 overall and 1-2 in the tournament.

Tiebreakers include head-to-head results, overall goal differential up to four per game, least amount of goals allowed, most shutouts and finally, penalty kicks.

The outcomes of other games Wednesday could have an effect on Alton’s overall placement. Results of those games were not available at Telegraph deadline.

First, of course, the Redbirds had to win Wednesday’s game. And after exploding four four goals in a nine-minute span midway through the first half, there was little doubt about that.

“The boys stepped up big time to the challenge and came out hot,” Funk said. “We were all over them but just couldn’t find the net early. But the first goal (in the 21st minute) really opened the flood gates.”

Josh Lombardi scored that first goal, from an assist by Jake Lombardo. After that, the goals came in rapid-fire succession.

Roman Thomeczek made it 3-0 with back-to-back goals in the 25th and 29th minutes, each assisted by Lombardo assist. Just a minute later, a goal by Riley Schmidt, assisted by Brayden Decker, made it 4-0 at halftime.

In the second half, the Redbirds were right back at it.

Blake Dunse took a pass from Lombardo and scored from the top left corner of the penalty area to make it 5-0 in the 49th minute.

Lombardo made it 6-0 in the 55th minute with an unassisted goal. Coleton Sebold made it 7-0 when he scored from a Brayden Decker assist in the 66th minute.

Then came Macias’s shutout-saving save.

“It was his only major test of the night and he came up huge,” Funk said of the save. “It can be hard to stayed focused there with little to no action most of the night.”

Decker capped the scoring in the 77th minute with a goal assist by Lombardo.

Lombardo’s five assists and one goal drew rave reviews from his coach.

“Five assists and a goal at the CYC Tournament is awesome,” Funk said of Lombardo’s effort. “Jake played a great game.”

“It was a great result,” Funk said. “We did our part to give ourselves the best chance at a 1 or 2 seed.

“Now we wait.”