Eshelman O.T. goal lifts Cyclones past Knights

 HARLAN (April 9) -- It was one of the easier goals, but perhaps the most exciting, that Dylan Eshelman will ever score.
 Less than two minutes into the first of two possible overtime periods Monday night, Eshelman made Kuemper Catholic pay for a mistake in front of the net, scoring the game-winning goal in sudden death to lift the Harlan Community boys soccer team past the Knights, 3-2, in a chilly 82-minute thriller at Merrill Field.
 The game was moved from Carroll to Harlan due to snow on the Knights’ home field.
 With the temperature hovering around 32 degrees and players cramping up on both sides, Cyclone senior Tanner Fink chipped a ball over the Kuemper defense toward goalie Thomas Evans early in the O.T. Evans appeared poised to field the ball off an easy hop, but had it slip past him and to his right, where Eshelman was waiting. The senior’s game-winning left-footer had just enough pace on it to slip between two streaking defenders and into the back corner of the net.
 Eshelman also finished with two assists for HCHS, which improved to 2-0 overall and 1-0 in Hawkeye Ten Conferencen play. Kuemper was playing its first match of the season.
 Eshelman said that he was told by his coaches that the Knights’ inexperienced keeper might put a few balls on the ground, and he was ready to pounce when it happened.
 “I was probably like 10 yards away and I saw him... so I just crashed the net,” he said. “I think it was Tanner Fink that crossed it over. I wasn’t (positioned) back side where I was supposed to be but I got there and then he spilled it and I just hit it with the left foot. It bounced right to me.”
 Cole Kramer led HCHS with seven total shots and four shots on goal Monday while goalie Keaton Jones finished with three saves. Voge, Levi Culp and Trey O’Neill tied for the team lead with three steals and Hunter Manz and O’Neill both had eight intercepts.

Boys Soccer • April 9 • at Harlan
HCHS 3, Kuemper 2 (OT)
SCORING SUMMARY
HCHS: Drew Voge goal (Dylan Eshelman assist) - 1st half, 13:25 left.
Kuemper: Blake Baumhover goal - 2nd half, 30:36 left.
Kuemper: Caden Pedelty goal (Austin Lampe assist) - 2nd half, 12:40 left.
HCHS: Jordan Fink goal (Dylan Eshelman assist) - 2nd half, 6:34 left.
HCHS: Dylan Eshelman goal (Tanner Fink assist) - OT, 8:10 left.