Super effort lifts Columbia College soccer team in overtime

COLUMBIA — All he needed was a cape.

Known by his teammates as "The Body," Columbia College senior midfielder Jimmy Herrman played the role of a superhero and helped rescue his team from its offensive woes to beat Hannibal-LaGrange 1-0 on Saturday afternoon at Owens Soccer Stadium.

His cross in the 90th minute went through the Hannibal-LaGrange goalkeeper's hands, allowing junior forward Edgar Reyna to pounce on the loose ball and score his second overtime game-winner of the season.

Like most superheroes, Herrman let others take the glory.

"Edgar was there," he said. "I owe the credit to him for making the run, for being there."

Herrman did not step on the field in the first half. He came on as a substitute at the start of the second half, but his impact on the Cougars' Homecoming game was immediate.

"The Body" looked as if he had superpowers. Herrman, who is not only the most muscular Cougar but also the fastest, used his speed to outrun the Trojans and terrorize the Hannibal-LaGrange defense throughout the second half.

Herrman launched multiple crosses during his time on the field and could have been renamed the "Rainman" when he nearly ended the Cougars' 280-plus-minute scoring drought, sending a shot just over the cross bar in the middle of the second half.

"Great spark, today," head coach John Klein said, referring to Herrman's heroics. "That's what he needs to do."

Columbia College's scoring drought has plagued the team the past three games, and many Cougars showed their frustration throughout Saturday's match.

"Oh, God! C'mon!" shouted senior defender Tom Vincenc when senior Alex Rangel's for-sure goal turned into another missed opportunity. Even Reyna, the Cougars' leading scorer, clasped his face in frustration after two of his scoring chances failed.

"Sometimes it can be kind of difficult for me watching the guys miss a goal," senior goalkeeper Ken Searles said.

Klein now wants Herrman to continue being aggressive.

"I think if Jimmy can get comfortable attacking left backs – that's all I'd like to see Jimmy do for the remainder of this year," he said.

Every super hero also has a sidekick.

Searles made two super-human saves, punching a ball wide in the first half and coming out and smothering the shot of a wide-open Trojans forward.

"It's my senior year. I'm trying to bring the team as far as I can," he said, referring to his saves. "I just do the best that I can to lead the team and take the team to the next step."