No. 11 West Liberty tops eighth-ranked IMS

Time ran out for No. 8 IMS in a 3-2 loss at 11

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-ranked West Liberty on Thursday night.

With 10 minutes remaining in the non-conference match, the Comets (6-4-3) were awarded a direct kick just outside the penalty box. The shot was deflected, but went to a West Liberty player who passed the ball into the box for a goal.

With seconds ticking off the clock, IMS junior Jameson Lammer sent a long ball forward, where junior Reggie Hostetler took the ball into the box and put a shot on goal. The West Liberty goalie knocked the ball down, and as several IMS players converged on the spot to try to kick the ball across the goal line, time ran out.

IMS took the lead early in the match, scoring in the 14

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minute when senior Dillon Bender sent a ball across the box to Hostetler, who knocked it by the goalie. West Liberty responded with a goal just three minutes later, and then the Comets scored on a penalty kick to take a 2-1 halftime lead.

Fourteen minutes into the second half, IMS brought the ball down the left side, and junior Lane Schrock and Bender took the ball deep into the corner. Bender sent a ball across the box, where it eventually found its way to senior Peyton Thompson. Thompson beat two defenders before finding a way to thread the ball into the net from about 18 yards out.

But West Liberty came up with a late goal, and time simply ran out on IMS, which fell to 11-4 on the season.