The Bobcats notched their best win of the season in double overtime against then-No. 3 Johnston earlier this year — and Tuesday night, the Bobcats were on the other side of the coin.

A last-minute goal from Ames’ Jordan Corrieri gave the senior a hat-trick and pushed the Little Cyclones to a 3-2 victory.

Despite the final score, the whole performance Marshalltown gave was encouraging for head coach Scott Johannes.

“It was great,” Johannes said. “We played much better possession, we came to the ball better and we had much better connection on our passes. I think we just played with confidence tonight.”

T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING - Marshalltown’s Alejandro Hernandez (2) is joined by teammates in celebration of his goal during the second half of Tuesday’s boys soccer match against Ames at Leonard Cole Field. Hernandez’s goal evened the match at 2-all, but Ames won it in overtime, 3-2.

From the opening whistle, Marshalltown set out to keep the ball and use possession properly, moving the ball side to side and finding teammates better than in any other game this season. Crucial to that was the starting midfield four of Max Gantz, Jose Cisneros Jr., Uriel Campos-Padilla and Diego Ordaz Zambrano. Jorge Martinez played a good chunk of the game in central midfield as well. This quintet was strong with the ball and helped in transitions from defense to attack.

But the tactical adjustment made by moving senior Richard Toe from the wing to the striker spot was probably the most important of the night, as Toe used his pace and ability on the ball to frequently cause havoc in the Ames backline.

“Trying to use his speed and trying to get him some more shots,” Johannes said. “Didn’t have to work so hard [to get shots]. We’ve put him there a few times in games, we’ve talked about kind of moving him around a little bit more. But just letting him have that freedom in the middle I think is maybe where he’s gonna stay for a while.”

The game was fairly even for much of the first 40 minutes, but a handball in the penalty area presented Ames with a chance to take the lead. Corrieri got his attempt saved by Marshalltown’s stand-in goalkeeper Kale McKibbin, but the ball squirted out of his grasp. Corrieri poked home to score the opening goal, and his knee knocked into McKibbin’s head. Ernesto Tellez replaced McKibbin.

Minutes later, Toe broke through the defensive line and scored to tie the game up 1-1. But with 8.9 seconds left until the halftime whistle, a foul in the box gifted Ames another penalty. This time, Corrieri scored at the first time of asking. Ames went into the break up 2-1.

T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING

It was very nearly 3-1 moments into the second half after yet another penalty was given in the Little Cyclones’ favor. But Corrieri missed the target from the spot, and this miss would come back to bite Ames late in regulation.

After a relatively tame 30 minutes of action through most of the second half, Marshalltown was pressing hard to try and equalize as the clock wound down. With just under 90 seconds left, sophomore midfielder Alejandro Hernandez — who was on junior varsity until very recently — turned to face the goal about 25 yards out. After taking a couple of dribbles, Hernandez put his head down and struck a curling finish with his right foot into the top right corner of the net. His goal forced overtime.

The Bobcats fell short in the extra period, but Johannes said the team doesn’t deserve to come out of this game with their heads down.

“We played a good game,” Johannes said. “We’ve said this all along, no matter what the record is in our conference they’re tough games.”