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October 23, 2003SOCCER: Elks win on OT penalty kickWenger's goal lone tally in win over NorsemenByRecord-Eagle staff writer SUTTONS BAY - One call ... one shot ... one victory. Neither team may have wanted to win it this way, but it was the way the Division 3 district soccer semifinal at Suttons Bay was won. Elk Rapids was awarded a penalty kick just 1:09 into overtime and Joel Wenger made the shot that sent the Elks into the district final with a 1-0 victory over the Norsemen. "I didn't like winning a game like that," said Elk Rapids coach Al Gredlein, whose team improved to 15-5. "I like to win it straight up. "The call was questionable. They were side by side; he didn't get hit from behind." With the victory, the Elks advance to Saturday's district final at Grayling. Game time is 11 a.m. "A win is a win," Wenger added. "It would have been better to win in regulation time. We'll still take it." For Suttons Bay, which finishes its season 12-5-3, the foul call in the 18-yard box was a little tougher to take. "It's no way to decide a game, especially in overtime," Suttons Bay coach Bryan Scott said. "There were harder tackles and harder fouls on the field that weren't called. "For the kids to lay everything on the line and for a referee's call to decide it ... It's a shame. It's a shame for the kids and a soccer program like this to lose on a referee's call." Even though Scott and the Norse thought the call was a mistake, Wenger made no mistake on the penalty kick. Wenger shot low into the right corner of the net past Suttons Bay senior Matt Klein, who had 10 shutouts this season and a 1.06 goals against average. "We've been practicing penalty kicks during practice every day," Gredlein said. "Joel is our most consistent. He's probably the best that we have because of the focus that he has. He doesn't let anything get to him." "His penalty kick was surgical," Scott added. "It was perfect. It's hard stopping a shot from 12 yards away." Wenger said he was going to the right corner all the way. "We've been practicing those in practice," Wenger said. "I go to that side every time. That's the way I've been going my whole life I guess. I always go right." Neither team could muster a lot of offense in the first half, despite Elk Rapids carrying the play for the majority of the first 45 minutes. The Elks had two shots on goal at the intermission while Suttons Bay had just one. The action picked up in the second half on both sides. Elk Rapids finished with 10 shots on goal in regulation while the Norsemen mustered eight. "He was solid," Wenger said of Klein. "He kept them in the game." Suttons Bay nearly won the game with three minutes left in regulation. Ryan Hoensheid headed a ball off a corner kick from Alan Holcombe that hit the crossbar and bounced over the goal. Then it didn't take long into the extra session for the game between the champions of the Lake Michigan Conference (Elk Rapids) and Cherryland Conference (Suttons Bay) to be over. "On the bright side, we took the No. 10 team in the state into overtime and had chances to win it," Scott said. Now while Elk Rapids looks forward to Saturday's district final, Suttons Bay has to look forward to next season. The Norsemen started just three seniors against the Elks: Klein, forward Jabe Dalzell and defender David Stowe. "We have a big hole to fill on the backline, but we're strong in every other position," Scott said. "They're a good team; a young team," Gredlein said. "They'll be back next year."
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