COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA: The #5 Reivers beat the Iowa Central Tritons 3-0 in Region XI First Round
HOW IT HAPPENED: The Reivers used 3 different goalscorers to move past the Tritons from Fort Dodge. Iowa Western dominated play from the start, but Iowa Central defense wouldn't break despite being outshot 15-0. However, the breakthrough would come 9 seconds from the half when Anna Hall pounced on a misclearance in the box and was able to redirct the ball 3 yards out from the Triton goal. "That goal was massive. It really demoralized them to concede so close to half time after doing a great job keeping the match level on the scoreboard. It was a huge boost for us to have soemthing to show from a really good first half team performance", commented Head Coach Adam Sanchez.
The Reivers continued to dominate after the break, racking up another 13 shots in the second period. However, the Reivers didn't have to wait nearly as long for the insurance goal. Ella Pelletier followed up a Ririka Kamimura shot in the 48th minute to finish from point blank range and double the Reiver advantage. Iowa Western continued to dictate play the rest of the half, limiting the Triton offense to just 1 shot. Barbara Russo would cap off the scoring finishing a header off the far post from a Paula Boza corner.
NOTES & NUMBERS: The Reivers improve to 14-1-0 and advance to the Region XI Final vs Indian Hills. Ella Pelletier scored her 7th goal of the season, while Hall scored her 4th goal. Russo scored her second goal and Boza added to her team-high 13 assists on the season. The Reivers extend their streak of championship appearances to 18.
QUOTES: Head Coach Adam Sanchez: "I thought the team put in a very, very good performance today. We improved from last game and dictated play the entire match. We isolated their threats and we found the back of the net enough to make it comfortable for us. Overall, just a really good performance in a big match that sees us through to the final."
UP NEXT: The Reivers host Indian Hills on Saturday, October 30th for the Region XI Championship. Winner will advance to the Central District Championship on Nov. 6th. Kick-off is scheduled for 2 pm. Match updates can be found on Twitter at @ReiverWSoccer. The game will be streamed live on the Reiver Sports Network.
