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His teammates had kept their shots low to the ground, allowing Cedar Park’s goalkeeper to stretch out and make the save. When Nance got the ball on a crossing pass from Sean Coles with just 6 minutes left, he knew exactly where he was going to put it.
No way Cedar Park goalkeeper Michaekl Darby was going to stretch out and save this one.
Nance put the shot high, making sure it came down just inside the crossbar to give Temple a 3-2 win over the Timberwolves in a Class 5A bi-district soccer playoff game Tuesday night at Wildcat Stadium.
“I saw Sean in a similar position and he put it on the ground and the keeper stretched out and saved it pretty well,” Nance said. “So I figured I’d just put it in the top of the goal and I was just fortunate enough that the keeper pretty much did the same thing that he did on Sean’s.”
With the win, District 13-5A champion Temple advanced to face Klein Collins later this week in an area-round game.
The crossing pass was something Temple coach Matt Corley had preached all season. Though his team didn’t always listen, Corley knew it was their best weapon.
“We’re very dangerous with that (crossing pass),” he said. “It creates opportunities, it’s kind of our niche, to kick the ball wide and get it across. I don’t know what it is; it just seems to be our cup of tea.”
Cedar Park took a 1-0 lead on a penalty kick by Devon Purlso in the 21st minute.
The Wildcats tied it up minutes later - on a crossing pass, no less.
Nance got the ball to Tawanda Meki in the middle of the field. Meki’s shot was deflected by Darby, but Coles buried the rebound shot in the back of the net for his 48th goal of the season.
Despite having the wind in the second half, the Wildcats’ fast-paced offense was slowed down.
Meki’s header in the 41st minute to give Temple a 2-1 lead was one of the few offensive bright spots for most of the second half.
Corley credited Cedar Park for part of the Wildcats’ slowed pace.
“Cedar Park played great; they played like a team that won their district at times,” Corley said. “They really took it to us.”
The Timberwolves tied it just 6 minutes after Meki’s goal on a shot by Michael Donahue from 20 yards out.
But the Wildcats found a way to get the offense clicking again in the final 10 minutes.
The forwards were able to get out and run, finding midfielders in the middle of the field for shots.
Temple nearly had the winner on Coles’ shot.
And then came Nance’s shot.
“We told the kids that they always find a way to win and that’s what makes them so good,” Corley said. “We’ve been down in district before, down in non-district. They just never quit and always find a way to put the ball in the back of the net."
rschneider@temple-telegram.com