Maine West downs Trevians in PK's

Updated: March 22, 2011 5:14PM

Tait Jensen was never so certain of something. "I walked up there and I knew I was going to score," he said.

The junior Maine West midfielder calmly drilled a penalty kick beyond the reach of the New Trier keeper that ended all doubts. His goal gave the Warriors a 4-3 advantage in penalty kicks that concluded his team's thrilling 1-0 victory over the Trevians in a Class 3A Sectional semifinal at Maine South Tuesday night.

Maine South advances to play Public League power Mather, who upset Niles West 2-1, on Friday.

"I have a routine that I do, and I felt the [keeper] was a little slow coming out at me, so I'd just hit it hard and low and go for the [right] corner," Jensen said.

After both teams missed on their opening kicks, Maine West sophomore keeper Jecsan Torres made a critical block against New Trier midfielder David Glen. "I move around a lot and try to distract [the shooters]," Torres said. "I saw the ball coming off and I just knew I had to reach for it."

Maine West's second shooter, Ryan Ybarra, smoked one past the New Trier keeper in the left corner and they never trailed. Freshman Nelson Herrera and senior Emmett Turner-Jackson also scored for Maine West (13-4-7).

"We've struggled all year scoring, so that was big for us," Jensen said. The Warriors have scored only 31 goals in their 24 games. "But this was our 14th shutout," Maine West coach Mike DiVincenzo said.

New Trier had the Warriors pinned down much of the second half and the first two overtimes. The Trevians recorded 11 shots. One hit the top of the post. Torres also made a spectacular lunge that tipped a ball just over the top of the goal.

The game was played in a fierce 35-mile-an-hour winds. It was hard to control the ball. "Our strength has been keeping the ball on the ground, and it's not as susceptible to the wind," New Trier coach Craig Fairbairn said.

"But it was two good teams, both fighting it out and it ends without a goal and it goes to penalty kicks and [anything] happens."

During the penalty kicks, Court Bowers, Conor O'Donovan and Matt Hayes scored for the Trevians (8-8-9).

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