With a target on their back following a Metro Conference Tournament Championship, #2 Creighton Prep kept their foot on the gas and have won their past 10 games. Not only are the Junior Jays winning, but they’re also taking down quality opponents. This past week, the Junior Jays took down #3 Gretna and #4 Omaha South and took down Nevada and Storm Lake in Council Bluffs.
Creighton Prep made a quick turn from the Metro Conference Tournament to facing Gretna. Although neither team could score in the first half, it was packed with action. Prep goalie Alec Sibbernsen played his best game of the season. He had 4 saves, 2 of which came in one one-on-ones. The Junior Jay offense unloaded 8 shots. Connor Lodes had an opportunity to give the Junior Jays the lead late in the half but failed to convert the breakaway.
Prep finally broke through the Gretna defense just 4 minutes into the second half. Prep forward Jordan Igwenma sent a pass from midfield to the top of the box. It seemed the Gretna defense had it under control, but Lodes swooped in and snuck the ball in the back of the net. 15 minutes later, Junior Jay defender Sean Stratman scored on a penalty kick after Zac Mcleay drew a foul in the box. Gretna never broke through Prep’s back line and the Junior Jays added another top-5 victory to their phenomenal resume.
The Junior Jays then traveled to Council Bluffs for a road trip against Storm Lake and Nevada.
I was nervous about the matchup with Storm Lake. I didn’t know much about the Tornadoes and knew that some juniors would potentially miss the game for the ACT. Igwenma was out as well after a red card against Gretna.
However, the Junior Jays dominated in a 5-0 victory. Lodes scored a brace as the Junior Jays unloaded 31 shots on the Tornadoes. Noah Hogan-Doria, Jack Johnson, and Charlie Mangan all found the back of the net. With Sibbernsen out, Will Hale and Brian Smith were able to shut out the Tornadoes. Each had 1 save.
The Junior Jays handled Nevada (From Nevada, Iowa) as well in a 6-1 victory. Although Nevada was able to score, no saves had to be made by the Prep goalies. Igwenma scored a pair of goals in his return from his red card. Stratman, Johnson, Louis Tokporo, and Drew Monzu all found the net. Prep unleashed another 31-shot performance and put 21 shots on goal. The offense was relentless.
Prep returned from Council Bluffs and had a quick turnaround before playing Omaha South on Monday. To put it simply, this game was a thriller. Neither team could break through, but that was largely thanks to phenomenal performances from both goalies. Packer goalie Brian Franco recorded a career-high 12 saves, as he was pressed all night by the Junior Jay offense. Sibbernsen only totaled 4 saves but found himself leaving his post often to corral passes from the Packer’s forwards.
The second half was more of the same. Each team had ample opportunities to break the tie, but the defenses held up. With the game tied with 10 minutes left, Sibbernsen played the hero, stopping a breakaway from Dylan Holden after he snuck through the Prep back line. The game went into extra time after full-time ended 0-0.
There were limited opportunities in both periods of extra time. Both defenses boosted their intensity, taking a bit of the workload off of Franco and Sibbernsen.
After 100 minutes of stalwart defense and elite goalkeeping, the game came down to a penalty shootout.
While Sibbernsen and Franco dominated regulation, they struggled in the shootout. Both teams scored their first 4 penalties. On Prep’s third attempt, Jack Johnson initially was stopped, but the referees decided Franco left his line early. Johnson redeemed himself, nailing his second attempt.
The 5th round is where things changed. If there is a tie after 4 rounds of penalty shots, all remaining rounds become sudden death. Jordan Igwenma nailed the first penalty shot of his career, giving Sibbernsen a chance to seal the game away. Packer forward Jesus Gonzalez Barragan was elected to shoot the penalty shot. Barragan took a quick run up and took a shot to the bottom right of the goal. Although Sibbernsen struggled during the shootout, he made the biggest save of his career before being mobbed by the fellow Junior Jays.
The Junior Jays solidified themselves as a top-2 team in the state alongside Lincoln Southwest. After defeating Gretna and Omaha South, Prep now has 6 top-10 victories on the year and sits with a 13-1 record. The defense has excelled this year. Brody Brakke, Drayton Beber, and Sean Stratman have led a defense that has 10 shutouts in 14 games. And while Sibbernsen hasn’t faced many shots this year, he has shown heroics, especially against Omaha South.
The Junior Jays are lined up to end their regular season with South Sioux City and Papillion La Vista.
This Week: vs South Sioux City (4/18, 4:45), vs Papillion La Vista (4/20, 1:00)
