pella-state-champions_02

Our countdown of the top moments from 2017-18 for Pella High becomes what we are calling a tie for first for a pair of state team championships this past spring.

Today, we highlight an incredible comeback for the Pella Boys Soccer team in the final moments of the Class 2A state championship game. In a matter of seven minutes, the Pella boys soccer team went from the brink of ending their season with a 2nd place trophy to the Class 2A title.

The Little Dutch scored twice in that time against previously-unbeaten Storm Lake to claim the program’s first championship finish.

Pella came flying out of the gates early, with an Ethan Poulter header starting the scoring just a minute and a half in. The Tornadoes would counter with a free kick, and a 1-1 tie remained on the scoreboard three minutes into the second half, when a Storm Lake try at the net took a bad bounce off of Lucas Warner into his own goal.

A furious rally came for the Dutch late in the 2nd half, with Ian Vasina outplaying the Tornadoes defense and feeding Ben Nelson a goal at 6:13 remaining. From there, Pella fed off of the momentum, and with 1:28, Soren Stelter’s header sealed the win.

Stelter tells KNIA/KRLS Sports he was in the right place at the right time.
“I saw [the ball] just go up — I don’t know what really happened before that, but I saw it in the air, and I was like ‘it was worth a shot,’” he recalls. “And I’ll I heard was just the crowd screaming, I didn’t even look in the goal–I just knew it went in and the rest is just history. It’s unreal.”

Pella had four players on the 2A All-Tournament team, including Poulter, Stelter, Goalkeeper Sam Warner and Defender and All-Tourney Captain Joe Bacon.

Tags: , ,