McDonald's OT goal lifts Cary-Grove to win
Nick McDonald was simply in the right place at the right time.
Situated right in front of the net, McDonald was in the perfect spot to rebound Conor Keady's shot on goal.
The Cary-Grove junior forward secured the rebound and softly pushed the ball past Jacobs goalie Danny Trevor with 6 minutes elapsed in overtime as the Trojans escaped with a 2-1 win over Jacobs in the Fox Valley Conference Valley Division boys soccer opener for both teams at Jacobs Thursday night.
"It feels great," said McDonald. "It is an awesome feeling. I was able to be in the right place and had a good shot on goal. It was certainly a great way to start the conference."
The Trojans (6-0, 1-0), the defending FVC Valley Division champs, outshot Jacobs (1-3, 0-1) 14-7.
"We had our chances toward the end of regulation play but we didn't capitalize on our opportunities," said Cary-Grove coach Mark Olson. "I didn't do anything. Give the kids credit. They got the job done. Both teams played well. Give Jacobs credit. They played a great game. In the end, we were the recipient of some good fortune."
The Trojans certainly had their chances to win the contest in regulation time.
With 13 minutes left in the game, Cary-Grove forward Patrick Shelton shook the Jacobs defense and blasted a shot toward Trevor.
The Jacobs sophomore goalie leaped high and was able to push the ball over the pipes.
Phil Hansen, Calvin Brown and John Oberlies also had outstanding chances to score but Trevor was up to the challenge and made the save in each instance.
Jacobs struck first as Greg Pignataro beat Cary-Grove goalie Kieenan Walsh on a breakaway to give the Golden Eagles a 1-0 advantage with 10 minutes, 4 seconds elapsed in the game.
The Trojans were able to knot the game at 1-1 with only 3 minutes left before the half on an unassisted goal by Kyle Blank.
Neither team scored in the second half before McDonald's goal gave the Trojans the hard-earned victory in the extra session.
Trevor made 6 saves for the Golden Eagles while Walsh pushed back 4 shots for the Trojans.
Jacobs' best chance for a second goal came early in the second as Mike Wallace broke loose from the Cary-Grove defense and blasted a shot toward the left side of the goal from 10 yards out. Walsh dove to make the save on Wallace's shot.