IMS tops neighboring Mid-Prairie 3-1 in a substate semifinal

Less than a week after the neighboring schools battled to a 1-1 tie, the sixth-ranked IMS boys? soccer team defeated No. 12 Mid-Prairie 3-1 in a Class 1A substate semifinal on Wednesday night.

Mid-Prairie (8-3-2) came out strong, but the IMS back line of Justin Boller, Cody Miller, Jameson Lammer and Kirby Shetler made it difficult for the Golden Hawks to get any clean shots. Senior goalkeeper Joel Shetler, who had five saves in the match, snagged any shots that did find their way toward the goal.

Midway through the first half, IMS senior Peyton Thompson collected the ball and started a quick counterattack by sending it through to junior Spencer Schrock. Schrock one-touched a pass past the Mid-Prairie defensive line, where a speeding Nicholas Yoder burst through to put the ball in the net for a 1-0 lead.

IMS continued to put pressure on the Golden Hawks, and it paid off in the closing minutes of the first half. Junior Enrique Sanchez sent a long ball toward the goal where senior Dillon Bender had made a far-post run and back-heeled the ball into the net to give IMS a 2-0 halftime lead.

The Golden Hawks came out strong in the second half and put immediate pressure on IMS, making things difficult for the IMS midfield. Joel Shetler made some key saves, while the back line continued to frustrate Mid-Prairie?s forwards.

IMS pushed its lead to 3-0 when Yoder sent a ball through to junior Reggie Hostetler, who out-muscled his defender to get to the ball and send it into the net. The Golden Hawks didn?t give up, though, and junior Austin Errthum scored a goal with seven minutes remaining.

IMS (14-6-1) advances to Saturday?s substate final at top-ranked Iowa City Regina. The match will begin at noon.