Helias ends 'Dogs' reign atop Class 2 in semis

FENTON -- Notre Dame senior keeper Ryan Bass was excited about participating in an overtime shootout that would decide the outcome of his team's Class 2 semifinal game against Helias on Friday.

He certainly looked prepared for one after making quality saves during the first two overtime sessions, igniting the Notre Dame student section to chant, "We love Ryan."

"The whole time through the overtimes, that is what I wanted to get to -- a shootout if they [teammates] couldn't score," Bass said.

Bass made nine saves to keep Notre Dame alive through two scoreless 40-minute halves and two 15-minute overtime sessions. But Helias was able to kick two goals past him in the shootout.

Bass also took Notre Dame's fifth and final penalty kick, missing a shot attempt wide to end the Bulldogs' title run.

KIT DOYLE ~ kdoyle@semissourian.comNotre Dame senior John Unterreiner, left, struggled for the ball against Helias defender Shane Convery Friday, November 21, 2008, in the Class 2 state semifinals at the Anheuser-Busch Center in Fenton, Mo.

Helias won the shootout 2-1 to post a 1-0 victory over the two-time defending state champion Bulldogs at the Anheuser-Busch Center.

Notre Dame (22-5) will play for third-place against Pembroke Hill (11-13-1) today at 11 a.m.

Helias (24-2-1) will play St. Dominic (22-6-1) in the title game at 5 p.m. after St. Dominic posted a 3-1 win over Pembroke Hill in the other Class 2 semifinal contest.

"I wanted the pressure," Bass said. "I just didn't come through."

Bass is a veteran goalie who was in net during Notre Dame's two previous state championships. He entered Friday's semifinal with 45 career shutouts, including 14 this season while allowing only 17 goals in his first 25 games.

KIT DOYLE ~ kdoyle@semissourian.comHelias players celebrated the 1-0 shootout win over Notre Dame Friday, November 21, 2008, in the Class 2 state semifinals at the Anheuser-Busch Center in Fenton, Mo.

Bass was not the only player excited about a shootout, however.

Helias senior keeper Jorden Bax, who is in his first year starting on varsity, was ready for the situation, too. He liked the prospect of facing Bass head to head.

"Ryan Bass is a terrific goalie," Bax said. "I've heard stories about him. He's an amazing goalie. He'll go somewhere in college and do well. But I'm glad I had to meet him one on one. I wanted that."

Notre Dame senior Josh Robert was the first to kick in the shootout for either team. Bax made the save on Robert's shot to give the Crusaders some early momentum.

Conor Dermody then scored on Helias' first kick, sending it past Bass for the 1-0 shootout lead.

KIT DOYLE ~ kdoyle@semissourian.comJosh Robert eyed the goal while placing his ball for the first shot of the shootout Friday, November 21, 2008, in the Class 2 state semifinals at the Anheuser-Busch Center in Fenton, Mo.

"It's a lot of reading," Bass said. "And with the first kid, I knew with the way he lined up he was going to my left, and I don't even know what I was thinking going to my right. ... He showed it to me and I went the wrong way."

Bax dived to his left to stop Notre Dame's second shot, which was taken by Brock Dirnberger.

Helias' Forrest McCurren then gave his team a 2-0 advantage when he scored past the diving Bass, who got back to his feet and placed both hands on his head as he walked away.

"The second one, I got a hand to it, and it made me upset because if you get your hand to it, it should never go in," Bass said.

Joe Froemsdorf scored on Notre Dame's third shot to cut the Helias shootout lead to 2-1.

KIT DOYLE ~ kdoyle@semissourian.comNotre Dame senior John Unterreiner, left, struggled for the ball against Helias defender Shane Convery Friday, November 21, 2008, in the Class 2 state semifinals at the Anheuser-Busch Center in Fenton, Mo.

Bass made saves on the next two shots to keep it at a one-goal deficit. Meanwhile, Bax stopped Notre Dame's fourth attempt, taken by Joda Holloway.

That left it up to Bass, who had to score on Notre Dame's fifth and final shot. But the attempt went wide, dropping Bass to the ground in disappointment and sending Bax and his teammates charging up the field, celebrating the win.

"I had the goalie going the wrong way on my shot and just put it wide," Bass said.

Bass said this was the first shootout his team participated in this year and the second of his high school career.

"The PKs we hit, [Bax] really didn't have to move much for," Bass said. "He kind of punched at them. To win the game, you usually only have to stop about two PKs."

KIT DOYLE ~ kdoyle@semissourian.comBulldogs senior Joda Holloway heads a ball between two Helias defenders Friday during the Class 2 semifinals at the Anheuser-Busch Center in Fenton.

Bax said the shootout was the second he had participated in. He just kept telling himself to stop every shot.

"We always practice PKs," Bax said. "I watch their hips. ... It's kind of a guessing game, but I guessed right today."

Dirnberger said his team did not envision participating in a shootout.

"We're not very experienced in PKs," Dirnberger said. "We were not ready for this. We didn't even talk about PKs in practice. But luck just didn't go our way on the PKs."

Bax was a good-sized keeper at 6 foot 3.

TOP: Bulldogs goalkeeper Ryan Bass makes a leaping save during overtime. LEFT: Notre Dame's John Unterreiner battles with Helias defender Shane Convery. ABOVE: Notre Dame fans could only watch as Helias celebrated its shootout victory.

"He was a big, big guy and we just didn't keep the ball down," Dirnberger said. "On a big goalie, you've got to keep the ball on the ground because he can snatch everything in the air. On the PKs, he just guessed the right way."

Notre Dame struggled to muster offense with eight shots. Most came late in the game.

"We'd get the ball and they would just keep on stepping back and back and back and back, and they wouldn't come toward us, so the box was filled with their defenders and it was hard to get the ball in," Dirnberger said.

Bass made some nifty saves in overtime. There were two high shots that he jumped up to tip just barely over the crossbar.

"Ryan Bass did everything to keep us in it," Dirnberger said. "It's pretty much the reason why we still got three overtimes. He made big saves like always. The offense just didn't finish for him."

KIT DOYLE ~ kdoyle@semissourian.comBulldogs senior Joda Holloway connected with a header between two Helias defenders Friday, November 21, 2008, in the Class 2 state semifinals at the Anheuser-Busch Center in Fenton, Mo.

Bass said Notre Dame came out slow, but played better as the game progressed.

"We came out sluggish, and it really showed," Bass said. "We played better toward the end. We started moving the ball. We didn't just kick it up the field as much. ... The first overtime we played well. We should have scored a couple of times, especially in the first two minutes of the overtime. The whole game we were pressing trying to get that goal."