WEBSTER CITY – In a matter 22 seconds the pendulum had swung, and just like that it was over.

From the brink of celebration to the throwing of hands on heads in less time than it takes to sing the ABC Song, that’s the fate the members of the Webster City girls’ soccer team was dealt on a bitterly cold evening on Friday.

Iowa Falls-Alden 1, Webster City 0, in overtime no less.

Locked in the scoreless stalemate after 80 minutes, WCHS (5-6) looked like it was on the verge of victory just one minute into the extra 10-minute period when Jenna Arbaugh took a pass out of the air, wheeled and sent a shot towards the left corner of the net. But IF-A keeper Saje Ites was able to get to it before it reached the net, and just 22 seconds later the Cadets (9-7) scored the golden goal on a counter attack to prevail.

“It was a tough loss because the girls really wanted it,” WCHS head coach Paul Baedke said. “We were at that .500 mark again and we tried to get over it.”

The lone goal of the match at Lynx Field came from Gabrielle Vierkandt at the 8:38 mark of overtime. Ites started the run with a booming free kick to Brittany Fopma down the right side of the pitch. Fopma sent the ball upfield in the middle and allowed Vierkandt to chase it down. WCHS goalkeeper Maia Jaycox came off her line and got a hand on the ball, but Vierkandt was able to flick it right and from there she had an open look at the net.

Baedke didn’t feel that Vierkandt’s run should have been allowed.

“I still think she was offsides, but I’m across the field and not down there,” he said.

It was the 10th shot of the match for the Cadets (6-5) and the sixth on frame. WCHS finished with nine shots, six on goal.

Both teams had their chances in both halves, but were unable to pull the trigger.

WCHS senior Jenna Arbaugh put together two runs in the open field in the first half, the second one coming in the final 10 seconds, but Ites was there to snuff out both of them.

The Lynx best opportunity came in the 62nd minute when Sarah Vogelbacher was tripped from behind by the Cadets’ Karli Olberding in the box as she streaked towards the goal. Baedke called Jaycox down the field for a keeper versus keeper showdown on the penalty kick and the WCHS senior had Ites out of position, but her kick sailed wide of the right post.

“I’ve tried a lot of girls and we’re struggling on something that we work on quite a bit,” Baedke said of the penalty kick situation. “In practice it’s fun to kick the ball, but then we get in the game and struggle.”

The Cadets most serious threat in regulation came in the 71st minute on a free kick from just outside the box by Lauren Keane. It sailed over the head of Jaycox, but glanced off the left post and went out of bounds.

WCHS controlled a large portion of the match because of the play of Kennedy Daniels in the middle of the field. And when the Cadets did get in scoring position, back-line magnet Kaitlyn Wagner was there to thwart the attacks.

“Kennedy has come on to control the ball really well and she gets things going,” Baedke said. “Kaitlyn has been the anchor back there all season and has done a good job.”

WCHS will play back-to-back home matches today and Tuesday. Garner-Hayfield/Ventura will come to town this evening, followed by a date with Boone 24 hours later.