By BRIAN SHOEMAKER
Herald-Whig Sports Writer
The looks on the faces of the Quincy High School girls soccer players showed Saturday's effort did not meet their satisfaction.
Despite outshooting Moline 22-6, QHS settled for a 1-1 tie in Western Big Six Conference action at Flinn Stadium.
"It's disappointing. You can get shot after shot and if they get one and make it, you're on the short end," QHS coach Bill Sanders said. "We've just got to learn from it."
The Blue Devils (6-1-1) had 12 first-half shots and six more in the final seven minutes of the second half.
Katie Runyon nearly had the game winning goal for QHS with seven minutes remaining in regulation, shooting a cross from Hayley Womack that teetered on the goal line before Moline keeper Amanda Smith batted the ball away.
Runyon and Womack combined for a trio of cross combinations late in the second half and overtime, and Runyon poked a cross to Taylor Nell for a shot that hit the right post in the first overtime.
Between goalkeeper, crossbar and posts, QHS found every part of the goal except the net after the first half. But Sanders said it was the things leading up to the shots that hindered the Blue Devils.
"I think the effort was there, but we weren't thinking the game through the way we needed to," Sanders said. "We kicked too many balls out of bounds ... the way we went in and tackled, turning our back and not tackling properly.
"It's just things we need to clean up before the shot itself."
The Maroons defense did its part, sporting a four-defender line to help counter QHS's speed in the front field and making crucial stops inside the box.
Cory Buenting led the Maroons defense with a pair of diving stops to clear QHS breakaway passes in front of the net.
"One of the strongest points of our team is our defense," Moline coach Rick Sanchez said. "We're organized and have a good goalkeeper in the back. We told our kids that if they're going to allow shots to make sure they're not inside the box."
Smith finished with 14 saves, beaten just once on a lofty shot from Womack on the right side that bounced off her hand and found the left corner of the goal.
She also came up with key first-half saves, punching a shot from Lydia Disseler out of play and making a diving save off a Blue Devils corner kick.
Moline (3-1-2) reached the scoreboard with 12:55 remaining in the first half when freshman Emily Holt found an opening 10 yards out to the right. Holt's shot took an unexpected bend, thanks to a strong gust of wind, and whipped past QHS keeper Brittany Senator.
After Holt's goal, the Maroons took just three shots in the remainder of the contest.
"Moline played well today and their keeper played very well," Sanders said. "But I want to see us better. We need to be better."
