A look back: State title win caps Lincoln East's magical season
By BRENT C. WAGNER / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Wednesday, May 19, 2010
There were several tense moments during a three-month season, but the Lincoln East boys soccer team kept overcoming every crazy thing the game can throw at you to complete one of the best seasons by a Nebraska high school team and win a state-best sixth state championship and the first since 2006.
With a 4-2 overtime win against Omaha South on Tuesday in front of a crowd of more than 5,000 fans, which was believed to be the largest to watch a high school match in the state, the Spartans completed a perfect 24-0 season. It is the most wins in state history. East joins Millard North in 2007 (22-0) and the 2006 Spartan team (18-0) as the only unbeaten Class A boys teams.
Along the way, East won five shootouts, two other overtime matches and was 10-0 in games decided by one goal. The Spartans had wins against seven teams in the final top-10 rankings and are ranked third nationally for states that play soccer in the spring.
Here's a look back at
East's win Tuesday:
First half
11:08 -- Alex Stillinger surprised East with his speed and chipped a shot past the Spartan goalkeeper. South 1-0.
33:44 -- Cole Kilgore took a shot from more than 30 yards that found the corner of the net. Tied 1-1.
Second half
44:12 -- Sam Nobbe took a pass from Justin Hill and scored with a shot that went just under the crossbar for only his second goal of the season. East 2-1.
76:58 -- With time winding down, Agustin Ochoa scored in front of the goal following a corner kick. Tied 2-2.
Overtime
86:23 -- Kyle Nowka's shot from 35 yards sails into the top of the net for the game winner. East 3-2.
98:46 -- Nowka was tackled in the penalty box, and East was awarded a penalty kick. Kilgore drilled a shot to his left to seal the win. East 4-2.
Quotes from the match:
Spartan coach Jeff Hoham
On the state title match: "There were kids doing things that they have never done before. We scored two goals with our backs. Kyle Nowka finished a goal that in his own eloquent words was one of the luckiest shots I've ever hit."
On whether this was the best team Hoham has had: "It's got to be one of the top two. I put this right up there with the '06 team. I'm going to tell you what sets them apart. It's the biggest mix of experience and youth as any team you'll see."
On senior defender Cole Kilgore, who scored two goals: "Cole Kilgore has given me four years, and he just capped it off with one of the greatest efforts I've seen from any player I've ever coached. What a wonderful way to cap off his career."
Senior defender Cole
Kilgore
On his penalty-kick goal that sealed the win, giving him his second goal of the match and only third of the season: "I ran over to Coach Hoham and told him, ŒI got it.' It was just fun from there."
On East scoring three goals from long-range: "We always have open shots from beyond the 18-yard line, and we were just hitting them well and they were going in."
On the winning the championship: "We're a close-knit team. To win all these games and then to get the state championship in overtime, I'll remember this for the rest of my life."
Senior defender Sam Nobbe
On the championship: "It feels great. In a school with so much history, it's good to actually make some history of our own."
On Omaha South: "They played with a lot of emotion. They showed a lot of heart."
Final 2010 boys soccer rating
CLASS A BOYS Previous
1. Lincoln East (24-0) 1
2. Omaha South (20-3) 3
3. Creighton Prep (21-3) 2
4. Kearney (15-4) 6
5. Elkhorn (11-5) 10
6. Lincoln Southwest (13-5) 5
7. Millard West (12-10) 7
8. Omaha Westside (11-10) 9
9. Millard South (11-8) 4
10. Millard North (9-7) 8
Comments: East kept winning one-goal games and five shootout matches all the way to a record 24-0 season and the school's sixth state championship. After a 12-7 season last year and a rare first-round exit at state, East was ranked fifth in the preseason. The Spartans took over the spot midway through the season after a win against then-No. 1 Prep.