By Fred Kroner
It took two days for the Oakwood/Salt Fork soccer team to secure a berth in the IHSA Class 1A regional tournament championship match at St. Thomas More.
The Comets faced the host school, the No 1 seed, on Tuesday (Oct. 12), but regulation and two 10-minute overtimes ended with neither team getting on the scoreboard.
The referees postponed the penalty kick shootout until Wednesday (Oct. 13) due to darkness.
It was a thrilling finish for Oakwood/Salt Fork.
Four Comets netted their penalty kicks, including three underclassmen.
Senior Joe Lashuay converted his penalty shot as did freshman Macen Phillips, sophomore Brody Taflinger and freshman Saul Carillo.
St. Thomas More made just two of its penalty kicks, and the Comets survived, moving into a 4 p.m. Friday (Oct. 15) championship match against Monticello.
Oakwood/Salt Fork goalkeeper Josh Ruch was credited with his 11th shutout, for not allowing a goal during the 100 minutes of action on the field.
His feat set a school record, breaking a tie he had with Landon Turner, who is an assistant coach for the Comets.
In total shots,St. Thomas More had more attempts, 19-11. Ruch’s 11 saves marked the sixth time he was in double figures this year.
Oakwood/Salt Fork is 18-7 – the most single-season wins since the program was established – and has an eight-match winning streak. In those matches, the Comets’ defense has yielded just three total goals.
The program is seeking its second-ever regional crown in soccer and the first since 2016.
