H-BR stays undefeated at Larry ‘Doc’ Peppers field with win over IC

HINCKLEY – Indian Creek did something Wednesday night that no visiting team had done in the almost 100 game minutes since Hinkley-Big Rock named its field for Larry “Doc” Peppers.

The Timberwolves scored on the Royals.

But then H-BR did something it hasn’t had to do since the naming ceremony - come from behind in the second half.

Austin Roop scored the go-ahead goal on a breakaway in the 72nd minute sandwiched between two Sawyer Smith penalty kicks for the 3-1 comeback win.

“I think we responded well. We got mad,” H-BR coach Scott Bastian said of his team’s play in the second half. “We take pride in our home field. And we came ready to play in the second half.”

Indian Creek (6-6-2 overall, 4-2 Little 10) started the scoring with 20:02 left in the first half. Parker Murry got free in front of the net and ripped a shot past Alex Casanas, who the Timberwolves kept busy in net throughout the game but especially in the first half.

Indian Creek had an 8-1 advantage in shots on goal in the first 40 minutes and finished with an 11-4 edge.

“I think more than anything we got overconfident,” IC coach Nic Gaston said. “We went into it one goal up, thinking this is our game, we’ve got it in the bag, no big deal.”

Smith, who has scored over 20 goals already this year, put the Royals (10-6-2, 5-1) on the board in the 57th minute after IC was called for a foul in the box. Just four minutes earlier the Timberwolves had a double yellow card called on a player, giving the Royals a one-man advantage for the remainder of the game.

Smith went top shelf to beat Jake Coulter to tie things up at 1-1.

That set up Roop’s goal later on a feed from Smith and a 2-1 edge with 8:12 left on the clock.

“I saw Sawyer got the ball, was open in the middle, called it and I know he’ll give me the ball when I’m open,” Roop said. “It was just a couple dribbles and a shot, just telling myself not to shoot it over the net”

Smith added another penalty kick in the 78th minute on another IC yellow card, again going up top to beat Coulter.

Gaston said he thought the Timberwolves played their style of soccer in the first half, but got away from it in the second half. Not to mention, he said, the cards and fouls didn’t help.

“Of course the boys were frustrated with what they felt the calls being one-sided,” Gaston said. “And the yellow cards, which were excessive. But we brought some of it on ourselves because we just don’t know when to stop running our mouths to the refs.”

The game was the final regular-season conference match for both teams. Tournament play begins next week, with Somonauk the top seed and receiving a bye into the semifinals. No. 2 H-BR will host DePue ad No. 3 Indian Creek will host No. 6 Earlville.

With the semifinals Tuesday, the tournament shifts to Hinckley, where the Royals are 3-0 since naming the field for Peppers, who won 581 games in 31 seasons as the girls basketball coach. He is the winningest boys soccer coach in IHSA history, winning 571 games as the boys soccer coach in 31 seasons. In 17 years as the girls soccer coach, he won 159 games.

In their first official game at Larry ‘Doc’ Peppers Field on Friday, the Royals notched a 7-0 win against Parkview Christian, then beat Earlville in an LTC math on Monday, 4-0.

Although the Royals still have a nonconference game Friday against Harvest Christian at home, Roop said the win was a big one heading into the tourney.

“It’s going to send a message going into the tournament,” he said.