A successful Senior Night isn’t always about the final score. But a win sure helps.
Polk County got just that on Wednesday night, beating Madison 2-0 in a contest that wasn’t as close as the score.
“You just try to keep the guys focused, because they’re pretty loose on Senior Night,” Alley said. “We got a lot of playing time for the seniors, which is good. We created a lot of shots. We worked on finishing yesterday, and we’ll have to work on finishing tomorrow.”
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The Wolverines had plenty of first-half chances, including six opportunities in the first 20 minutes. Those came despite the Patriots playing eight defenders within 30 yards of the goal, making it difficult for Polk County to create their usual chances in space.
“They did a good job kind of packing it in and making it hard for us, making us go around the outside,” Alley said. “We worked on getting around and getting our crosses in, which we did. So I’m happy with everything, but it would’ve been nice to get a few more out of it.”
The two they got came within 13 minutes in the first half. Ross Dow knocked home a goal off a good cross at the 18:31 mark, and Tallis Metcalf converted off an indirect free kick opportunity in the box to take a 2-0 halftime lead.
Polk County continued to press the issue in the second half, actually creating even more good looks than in the first. They just weren’t able to convert.
Charlie Wagoner’s clean sheet, the 29th of his career to add to his school record, was rarely in any danger. He made two nice saves in the first half, but was untested in the second.
Alley said the slow pace and deliberate play would be a challenge as the Wolverines head into postseason play.
“It’s hard, because then you come back and we’ll have a game Monday where the team won’t play back like that. And it takes a while to get back into that,” he said. “So we talk about that, just because the other team is slowed down, you still want to think big with the ball.”
