Council Bluffs Lewis Central, Des Moines North and Southeast Polk all visited Dewey Field Saturday for the Bluejay Soccer Tournament, with each team playing three games.
Perry finished the day with a 2-1 record. The opened with a 3-2 (4-3) shootout win over Des Moines North before suffering a 2-1 loss to Lewis Central. The hosts claimed the final game of the tourney, topping Southeast Polk, 2-1 (4-3) in a shootout.
Des Moines North led the first game, 1-0, at the half, but Jesus Rodriguez scored twice to give Perry a 2-1 lead. Rodriguez’s second score came with two minutes left in regulation, but a miscommunication by the Bluejay defense allowed the Polar Bears to tie the score not 30 seconds later.
The game went to a shootout, with Perry junior goalie Anthony Aragon saving the last two of North’s five penalty kicks as the Jays prevailed, 4-3 on PK’s, for a 3-2 victory.
The second game of the day also featured a shootout, with Southeast Polk winning on penalty kicks to top Lewis Central, 2-1.
The victorious Rams stayed on the pitch for game three and claimed another 2-1 win, with the North the victim.
Game four of the tourney had the Titans back on the pitch and to face the Bluejays, with Lewis Central scoring 1 minute, 50 seconds before the intermission for a 1-0 lead. The Titans stretched their advantage to 2-1 with a goal less than five minutes into the second half. Rodriguez beat the keeper on a crossing shot that ricocheted into the net off the inside of the right post with 2:10 to play, but Perry could not come up with the equalizer and fell, 2-1.
Lewis Central (2-1) kept North (0-3) winless to start the season with a 2-0 victory, setting the stage for the finale, between SE Polk and Perry.
The Rams led, 1-0, when Alex Castaneda took a Rodriguez pass and buried it in the nylon with nine minutes remaining, a score that would eventually force the third shootout of the six-game tourney. Perry prevailed, 4-3, for a 2-1 win, with Anthony Velasco’s blast the deciding shot.
Perry returns to action Tuesday with a visit to Winterset, with a trip to Carlisle scheduled for Thursday.
