Ferreira kicks Homewood-Flossmoor to win

Updated: September 28, 2011 8:50PM

After two overtimes failed to determine a winner, Homewood-Flossmoor’s Alfredo Ferreira knew what he was going to do if he got a chance to decide Wednesday’s game against Joliet West in the shootout.

“Every time I come up for a PK, I just think I’m in my back yard, no pressure on me,’’ Ferreira said. “I just eliminate all the people, the crowd, I don’t listen to what they say. I just go where I want to go.’’

Ferreira went to the high right corner with his shot to give visiting H-F the 2-1 SouthWest Suburban Blue victory with a 5-4 advantage in the shootout.

“Words can’t describe it,’’ Ferreira said of the game-ending shot. “I went crazy. You could see the celebration.’’

The shootout was 4-4 after the first five shots. Joliet West failed on its next three attempts, H-F on its next two. Ferreira’s plan in a shootout is to hit the right side.

“That’s where I was going to go no matter what,’’ Ferreira said. “If the keeper dived that way I was still going to go that way. Always to the right is where I go to.’’

H-F (5-4-4, 2-0) got a chance for its second SouthWest Blue victory of the season thanks to Armel Kouassi’s goal with three minutes left in regulation.

“He’s coming back from a broken leg over the summer, a real bad compound break,’’ H-F coach Charlie Ward said of Kouassi. “We needed him. He’s a big scorer for us.’’

Joliet West (4-8-4, 0-1) had gone ahead 1-0 when Diego Alcantar scored off a right corner pass from Christian Gutierrez with 15:29 left in the second half.

Joliet West’s Frank Spesia, Lucas Stefanski, Edgar Mireles and Miguel Ramirez scored in the shootout.

H-F shootout goals came from Mike Hurley, Kouassi, Jairo Garcia, Phil Huang and Ferreira.

“I think we’re getting our confidence to the point now where we’re fighting every single game,’’ Ward said. “What we lack in physical talent, we make up in hustle.’’

H-F will be in the Rock Island Invitational Friday and Saturday and the Vikings resume their SouthWest Blue season Tuesday at Lincoln-Way East.

“Boys high school soccer this year is so even,’’ Ward said. “We’ve played four ties. I know Joliet West has a bunch of ties. It seems like everybody we play is a 1-0 game or 1-1 game. It’s really who gets the lucky bounce. All year it’s been like that.’’

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