Wichita Wings drop first games of season, the first coming in heartbreaking fashion
They shot inches wide twice.
The Wichita Wings went to a shootout against the undefeated Chihuahua Savage on Saturday in the first game of a two-game series and lost 9-8. It was their best chance to take a grip on a league championship in their first year back at Hartman Arena.
Nico Andre had a shot to win it after Wings goalkeeper Steven Hamersky made a beautiful swipe on a sudden death penalty, but Andre missed by inches from the bottom right corner of the goal to give the Savage another chance.
After sticking a pivotal shootout minutes earlier, Wings midfielder Brian Perez needed to convert to win, but he, too, put it outside the goal as his shot hit almost the same spot on the other side of the net.
A day later, the Savage returned to Hartman and handed the Wings another loss, this one by 8-4 as Chihuahua’s David Cardenas scored a hat trick and no Wings player scored more than once.
The losses were Wichita’s first of the season after starting 5-0 and outscoring opponents 51-20. The Savage now hold a two-game lead in the Major Arena Soccer League. Wichita sits one ahead of the Colorado Inferno for second.
The Wings get the rest of January off but are back to battle for the No. 2 spot in the league standings against Colorado at 7 p.m. Feb. 1 at Hartman.