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 11^th 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.

The post Oakwood secures spot in Regional Championship first appeared on SJO Daily.

Three players – a sophomore, a junior and a senior – each hit a goal and added an assist on Thursday (Sept. 30)  as the Oakwood/Salt Fork soccer team shut out visiting Georgetown-Ridge Farm, 3-0.

Those involved with the scoring were senior Joe Lashuay, junior Reef Pacot and sophomore Brody Taflinger.

Josh Ruch collected six saves while picking up his seventh shutout of the season and the second of the week.

The Comets held a 26-8 edge in total shot attempts.

On Friday (Oct. 1), the Comets posted their second shutout in two days, blanking Schlarman Academy 4-0 in Danville.

Powell and Ethan Merritt each netted two goals, one in each half for each.

Pacot, Taflinger and Cooper Myers had assists. Ruch was credited with three saves.

Oakwood/Salt Fork held a 41-5 edge in total shots.

On Saturday (Oct. 2), Powell broke two season records and one career mark as the Comets topped visiting Judah Christian, 8-1.

Powell had a hat trick and assisted on another goal. His three goals gave him a program record 25 for the season. He shattered the season record for assists with his 16^th and raised his career assist program record to 27. Powell had two assists against Judah.

Lashuay hit two goals against Judah. Taflinger and Ty Smoot each had one goal.

Other Comets with assists were Taflinger, Pacot, Ethan Merritt and Ruch.

Ruch also secured three saves.

Oakwood/Salt Fork held a 43-5 edge on total shots.

In their first 21 matches, the Comets have allowed 21 goals.

Oakwood/Salt Fork (14-7) returns to action on Monday (Oct. 4) against Tolono Unity.

The post Oakwood soccer tops Georgetown-Ridge Farm and Judah Christian first appeared on SJO Daily.

Oakwood/Salt Fork recorded its sixth shutout of the soccer season, blanking Iroquois West 5-0 on Tuesday (Sept. 28) in Gilman.

Grant Powell hit two goals and added one assist in the win.

Joe Lashuay, Brody Taflinger and Reef Pacot all netted one goal. Pacot and Lashuay also notched one assist.

The Comets led, 3-0, at halftime.

Josh Ruch registered 12 saves, one off of his season’s best.

On Thursday (Sept. 23), the Comets dropped a 3-1 decision at Hoopeston Area. Powell hit the team’s lone goal, with an assist to Saul Carillo. Ruch had three saves.

Oakwood/Salt Fork (11-7) returns to action on Thursday (Sept. 30) at home against Georgetown-Ridge Farm.

The post Comets pick up sixth shutout first appeared on SJO Daily.

Dylan Diaz scored a season-high four goals on Thursday (Sept. 9) as Oakwood/Salt Fork ran its soccer winning streak to four matches with a 7-2 triumph at home over Rantoul.

Diaz notched two goals in each half.

Oakwood/Salt Fork led 3-1 at intermission.

Macen Phillips and Joe Lashuay also hit goals for the Comets.

Saul Carrillo and Brody Taflinger each ended with two assists.

Josh Ruch collected two keeper saves.

Oakwood/Salt Fork went 2-2 in the two-day Cornjerker Classic, in Hoopeston, which ended on Saturday (Sept 11).

The Comets opened with an 8-0 win over Clifton Central, then fell to Bloomington Central Catholic, 2-1, before rebounding to whip Hoopeston Area, 4-2. In their tourney finale, Oakwood/SF was shut out by Monticello, 4-0, in the third-place match.

Lashuay and Cooper Myers each netted two goals against Clifton. Also getting in on the scoring action were Diaz, Phillips, Carrillo and Reef Pacot.

Diaz and Pacot had assists as did Carlie Thompson, Ty Smoot and Grant Powell.

Ruch produced three saves.

Against BCC, the lone Comet goal was courtesy of Diaz, assisted by Lashuay. Ruch had 10 saves.

Against Hoopeston, Powell had two goals and one assist. Other goals were by Pacot and Phillips. Ruch collected five saves.

Despite the shutout loss to Monticello, Oakwood/SF has outscored its opponents 52-23 thus far this season.

Ruch had seven saves against the Sages.

Through 13 matches, six Oakwood/Salt Fork players have hit at least five goals, led by Powell with 12. Four players have at least five assists, led by Powell with 10.

Oakwood/Salt Fork (8-5) returns to action on Tuesday (Sept. 14) at Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin.

The post Diaz leads Oakwood over Rantoul first appeared on SJO Daily.

Oakwood/Salt Fork recorded its third consecutive shutout on Tuesday (Sept. 7), holding Georgetown-Ridge Farm/Westville scoreless in a 3-0 win in Georgetown.

Junior Grant Powell produced a hat trick for Oakwood/SF. His goals were assisted by Reef Pacot and Brody Taflinger.

Josh Ruch had two saves.

Oakwood/Salt Fork (5-3) returns to action on Thursday (Sept. 9) at home against Rantoul.

The post Oakwood defense holds opponents scoreless first appeared on SJO Daily.

Junior Grant Powell scored three first-half goals and added three second-half assists on Thursday (Aug. 26) as Oakwood overpowered Watseka 11-3 in a soccer match on the Warriors’ pitch.

Powell totaled four assists.

Also scoring multiple goals for the Comets was Brody Taflinger with two.

Reef Pacot had three first-half assists and had four second-half saves when he played in goal.

Other Oakwood scorers were Saul Carillo, Macen Phillips, Joe Lashuay, Ty Smoot, Dylan Diaz and Tucker Pesek. Phillips also had an assist.

The Comets bombarded Watseka with 36 shots.

Josh Ruch had one save.

Oakwood/Salt Fork (2-1) returns to action on Monday (Aug. 30) at home against Monticello.

The post Oakwood Soccer overpowers Watseka first appeared on SJO Daily.