In a sense, instant replay was in effect for Nixa's 2-1 double-overtime Class 4 District 5 loss to Ozark on Wednesday. At least from the perspective of Eagles coach Evan Palmer, the controversial ending had him re-living an all-too familar painful memory from this year.
Nixa's post-sended ended when an official ruled the ball crossed the goal line off an Ozark corner kick as it hit Eagles defender Seth Weatherfield.
Last spring, Palmer's Nixa girls team lost a penalty-kick shootout to Ozark in a Disrtict semifinal, after a Gwen Jones goal at the end of the second overtime was ruled to have occurred after time elapsed.
In both cases, Palmer went to video and reported he received confirmation the wrong calls were made.
"We've been through some tough times," Palmer said. "I'm going to feel bad for a very long time. It feels like the rug is pulled out from underneath us. It's a sad way to go out, a tough pill to swallow."
As Ozark's corner-kick ball rolled toward a scrum of players in front of the Tigers' goal, there were different opinions on whether anyone hit the ball prior to it deflecting off of Weatherfield. There were also differing opinions on whether Weatherfield was in front of or across the goal line.
"What I think happened was Seth is on the post, he goes to go for the ball and as he does that, he hits the net and the ball pumps off of his chest," Palmer said after looking at video. "I don't know what (the referee) is looking at. I think the referee saw the net move and thought the ball went in. That's the only thing I can think of because the ball was not across the line. The whole ball has to be on the other side of the line.
"Bottom line is we should have been playing a little longer," he added. "When the ball doesn't go in, it shouldn't count."
Appeals to another referee have become commonplace in many sports, but Palmer reports there is no such protocol in soccer regarding a goal.
"It's a subjective thing, it's his call," Palmer said.
Palmer credited Ozark for controlling the ball for the majority of the second overtime and for keeping Nixa off the scoreboard in the first half, when the Eagles controlled the ball.
"They had a good part of the play at the end. Their corner kicks and free kicks were very dangerous," Palmer said. "We had all that time (with the ball in the first half). For almost 20 minutes, they didn't have anything. We were on them, but hardly had a shot, though. Credit to them. Their two center-backs are fast and tough to get around. They're really good players. Their outside 'backs are excellent, as well.”
The Eagles’ lone goal came from Caeden Cloud at the 32:38 mark of the second half.
Nixa goalkeeper Logan Elmer stopped a point-blank Ozark shot attempt in the second half and leaped to make a diving one-handed block off a free kick in the second overtime.
"I'm so proud of Logan. He was fantastic," Palmer said. "Both goalies played outstanding."
Elmer is one of 14 Nixa seniors, with many of them being multi-year starters for the Eagles. They enjoyed success, but were winless against Ozark in their careers.
"We rode those 14 hoping we would get over the hump," Palmer said. "It wasn't for a lack of effort or skill. We walk off this field with our heads held high because we played a fantastic game.
"I'm excited about the guys coming back," he added. "A lot of the guys had this big group in front of them. It's their time now. We're going to make another run at a District championship next year."
