BSoc 2A REG. 6: #4 Center Grove nips Mt. Vernon 1-0 for regional title

Archived broadcast link

Gabe Edel hit a 40-yard free kick from the left touch line and lofted it into the upper right corner of the net at the 51:58 mark to give Center Grove a 1-0 victory over Mt. Vernon in the Mt. Vernon regional championship match.

Edel's goal -- the 11th of the year for the Trojans' junior -- gave CG all the offense it needed, as goalkeeper Dalton Mudd posted his ninth shutout of the season.

He lofted a free kick with a strong wind at his back that carried to the upper far-post netting. MV goalkeeper Corban Hartley leapt to parry it, but the ball sailed over his outstretched hands and dropped into the net.

Mudd made four saves to preserve the shutout -- three on MV forward Kyle Cansler, who had two solid opportunities, one a tricky shot from outside the box midway through the first half, and one off a free kick that was headed for the side netting in the second. MV carried much of the play in the final 10 minutes of the first half, but the game went into the half scoreless.

Meanwhile, Hartley made 12 saves in the MV net as the Trojans' possession game came at him in waves in the second half. CG outshot MV 16-2 in the second half and 21-5 for the game. Hartley made numerous point-blank saves on close-in shots in the second half. Center back Rhyan Woods had two defensive saves on Carson Kelker on a two-shot sequence in the second half, minutes before Edel scored.

Edel had nine of Center Grove's 21 shots. Midfielder Austin Storm and forward Mitch Eckerle had three shots each.

After scoring, the Trojans had the run of the play, with Eckerle hitting a goalpost and Hartley making several big saves. MV's best chances were Cansler's free kick, and a shot by C.J. Coleman in the box that went wide.

Center Grove is now 17-2-1 on the year. The fourth-ranked Trojans will face No. 3 Evansville Memorial at 1 p.m. EDT next Saturday in the Evansville Harrison semistate. Cathedral and No. 6 Columbus North will face each other in the other semifinal, going on at the same time.

Mt. Vernon finishes 12-7-2 on the year. The Marauders were the Hoosier Heritage Conference champions and sectional champs for the 10th time in school history.

IHSAA boys soccer regional final
At Mt. Vernon
Center Grove (17-2-1): 0-1 -- 1
Mt. Vernon (12-7-2): 0-0 -- 0
Scoring
CG-Edel (11), direct kick, 51:58
Shots: CG 21, MV 5
Saves: Mudd (CG) 4; Hartley (MV) 12, Woods (MV) 2 defensive saves
Fouls: CG 18, MV 8
Corners: CG 10, MV 0
Offside: CG 2, MV 1