Oak Park edges out Downers South

Updated: March 22, 2011 5:18PM

Oak Park scored with 8:41 left in the game to

defeat Downers South 2-1 in the title game of the Oak Park Class 3A

Regional on Friday.

Huskies' junior Mike Bower kicked the ball into the middle of the goal mouth on

a restart from the 35-yard line. The ball deflected off a Downers South

defender and into the goal.

"I just wanted to put it in traffic and hoped somebody was able to get a

head on it," Bower said. "One of their defenders made a mistake."

"You want to put it on target and see what happens," OPRF coach Paul Wright

said.

The No. 5-seeded Huskies (14-4-3) scored in the 38th minute on a goal by

Elias El Metennani from the far left side of the field to tie the game at

1-1 at halftime. The assist went to Bower.

"I didn't have much of an angle," El Metennani said. "I just tried to hit it

hard at the goalie."

"That made us believe we had a chance to win this game," Wright said.

No. 4-seeded Downers South scored in the 16th minute on a goal by Nick Suker

off a corner kick by Joe McLean.

"At the beginning of the game we were asleep," Bower said. "We woke up after

Downers South scored."

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