Wednesday April 29th saw Hurricanes go up against Des Moines Metros for the second time this season.
 
It was a cool wet night and yet the crowds still packed into Valley stadium to watch this exciting game.
 
The scoring was opened up by the Metros with a great goal by Erin Weldon. She took the ball down the right side, beating two Hurricanes defenders before slamming home a fine shot leaving Frank Montabon no chance in the Hurricanes goal.
 
Hurricanes almost leveled it up with two chances in the next ten minutes. The first was from Doug Jacobson following a play on the left side between Eileen Flaherty and Carlos Cortez, Jacobson was unmarked on the edge of the penalty area, Cortez passed to Jacobson but his shot went wide.

Two minutes later Mike Dunbar had a 40 yard shot which had Metros keeper Ron Larmie beat however the shot bounced over the bar.

There were two more chances for Carlos Cortez and Eric McCoy however none found their mark. Albert van Geelen headed just over the cross bar following a Kenny Kyle corner.

Metros were always dangerous throughout the whole game and four minutes before half time Obando Bismark sent a long ball up the center. Montabon ran out to defend however Jeno Rigley beat Frank to the ball and slipped it past him into the net. 2 – 0

Hurricanes came out fighting in the second half and piled the pressure on. Dunbar had two more shots at goal, one just sliding over the bar, the second going wide. Albert van Geelen should have scored when he was sent thru the defense following a ball from Carlos Cortez but unfortunately his shot went right to Larmie, the Metros GK.
 
A corner kick from Flaherty found Cortez open in the goal area however his header went wide.
 
Twenty minutes into the second half saw the Hurricanes get one back. Matt O'Neal was running hard towards the goal with only one defender in his way when he was tripped just outside the penalty area. Kenny Kyle lined up to take the kick and was contemplating bending it round the wall when he spotted O'Neal wide open right on the penalty mark. He passed to O'Neal who's subsequent left foot shot was blocked on the line by Metro's Brazilian defender Bismark. Graham Vincent shot again from the rebound but Larmie stopped that one, Kyle picked up on that rebound and shot into the top left corner. 2 – 1.
 
Hurricanes fought on trying hard for the equalizer but unfortunately it did not come.
 
Kelsey Carvell, Chad Ward, Carlos Cortez and Albert van Geelen all had other chances however none were successful.
 
Metros almost got their third in the final minutes' when a breakaway by Erin Weldon was well saved by Montabon in the Hurricanes goal.
 
The rain stopped just about the same moment that the final whistle blew.

Report courtesy of Gillian McCarthy Gilliland-Smith (Roto-Rueters)