HCHS boys down WCV in substate opener

 HARLAN -- Perhaps it was only fitting that the Harlan Community boys soccer team’s 15th and final win of the season came on home turf.
 Improving to 9-0 at Merrill Field, the Cyclones handled an outmatched West Central Valley squad 5-1 Monday night (May 22) in the opening round of the Class 2-A, Substate 8 tournament.
 HCHS, ranked 15th by the Iowa High School Soccer Coaches Association, improved to 15-2 overall while WCV finished 5-11. Two nights later, however, the Cyclones were ousted from the playoffs by No. 8 Winterset, 5-1, in a substate semifinal at Earlham (see Tuesday’s Harlan Tribune for more details).
 HCHS might have scored 10 to 15 goals against WCV Monday if not for a plethora of missed opportunities in both halves - some a result of misfortune and others just a lack of execution.
 The Wildcats actually tied the match at 1-1 with 32:08 left in the first half when they scored off a counter, and it remained that way for another 20 minutes. Then with 11:43 remaining in the half, WCV was whistled for a yellow card in the box and Tanner Fink’s penalty kick put the Cyclones ahead to stay.