HEAD’S UP SHOT — Fairmont Area’s Isaiah Lockwood attempts to head the soccer ball into the net as Marshall’s Ceasar Guzman Moreno (20) defends during Big South Conference action Tuesday night at Jeffery Kot Soccer Complex in Fairmont. The Cardinals’ Matthew Kotewa (left) and the Tigers’ Hei Wah watch the action. (Photo by Greg Abel)
FAIRMONT — The center referee probably felt like a dealer in a casino after issuing six yellow cards and one red during Tuesday night’s Big South Conference boys soccer clash in Fairmont.
Despite Marshall receiving four yellow cards and one red, senior striker Jose Luis Ulloa delivered both of the Tigers’ goals and sophomore goalkeeper Alex Melendez Gomez produced 11 saves to scratch out a 2-0 victory over the Fairmont Area Cardinals at Jeffery Kot Soccer Complex.
“No. 9 (Ulloa) has good speed and controlled the ball well during their offensive possessions,” said Fairmont Area head coach Brady Meyer, whose lineup netted a 3-2 win over the Tigers during the teams’ first encounter of the season on Sept. 8 in Marshall. “We had our chances tonight, we just couldn’t get anything to go in the net.
“We were like the (Minnesota) Vikings against the (New Orleans) Saints, only we didn’t win due to a double bounce.”
Meyer’s reference was to New Orleans kicker Wil Lutz’s potential game-tying 61-yard field goal hit the left upright and then the crossbar before bouncing out as time expired during the Saints’ 28-25 loss to the Vikings on Sunday morning in London.
Trailing 1-0, Fairmont Area midfielder Ben Heinze drove the right end line and triggered a rising blast that glanced off both the post and crossbar at the 21:30 juncture of the second half.
Carson Pomerenke later tracked down an overpass, rushed the right sideline, evaded a defender and drove the right wing. The Fairmont Area sweeper kicked a centering pass that Marshall managed to get a foot on and kick out of harm’s way with 8 minutes left in regulation.
Two minutes later, Muhmed Ahmed threaded a perfect lead pass to a breaking Ulloa, who angled left before slicing a left-to-right shot by a diving Jack Kosbab to stake Marshall to a 2-0 lead with 6:01 remaining.
Isaiah Lockwood also nearly knotted the game at 1-all by displaying his vertical leap before heading the soccer ball just over the crossbar as Fairmont Area still trailed at the 32-minute mark of the second half.
Ulloa rushed the left wing and received a friendly bounce that eluded Kosbab near the left pipe before tapping home the open-netter with 22:24 left in the first half.
Kosbab turned away nine shots for the Cardinals, while Melendez Gomez netted the shutout by stopping 11.
Fairmont Area (7-7-1) concludes the regular season by traveling to Worthington on Thursday night for a 7 p.m. conference match, while Marshall (7-7) hits the road to New Prague on Saturday for a noon game.
Marshall 1-1–2
Fairmont 0-0–0
Scoring Plays
1st Half
MAR–Jose Luis Ulloa (unassisted), 22:24.
2nd Half
MAR–Jose Luis Ulloa (Muhmed Ahmed), 6:01.
Shots-on-goal: Marshall 5-7–12; Fairmont Area 4-7–11. Corners: Marshall 4; Fairmont 3.
Saves: Alex Melendez Gomez (MAR) 11; Jack Kosbab (FMT) 9, Carson Pomerenke (FMT) 1.
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Girls Soccer
Marshall 2, Fairmont Area 1 (OT) — Marissa Talamantes converted a penalty kick with 1:11 left in the first overtime period to help the Tigers scratch out a one-goal Big South Conference victory over the Cardinals on Tuesday night in Marshall.
Kennedy Becker staked Fairmont Area to a 1-0 halftime advantage by finding the twine off an assist from Emma Scheppmann at the 28:34 juncture of the initial 40-minute frame.
Maddy Van Keulen, however, delivered the equalizer for Marshall with 35:39 remaining in the second half.
Cardinals’ netkeeper Madi Stromberg produced a game-leading 21 saves, while Tigers’ goalie Anna DeGroot turned away 18 shots to net the win.
Fairmont Area (6-9) plays host to Worthington at 7 p.m. Thursday night.
Frankie Martin accounted for the only goal in the Fairmont Area junior varsity’s 1-0 win over Marshall on Tuesday night in Marshall.
Karissa Newville supplied the assist on Martin’s goal that capped a reduced 40-minute contest.
Mary Bennett recorded four saves to earn the shutout for the Cardinals.