The numbers said he should shoot it.
So Jefferson City Jays coach Scott Blake followed the numbers after Ethan Blake was fouled in the box resulting in a penalty kick with a little more than 20 minutes remaining in Monday night's game against the Helias Crusaders at the Crusader Athletic Complex.
"If somebody takes a foul, they may not be the best one to shoot," Scott Blake said. "But we shoot and track a lot of penalty kicks in practice and statistically, it was Ethan's turn to take it."
Ethan Blake knocked the ensuing shot into the lower left corner of the net and Jefferson City held on for a 1-0 victory against Helias.
"It was an unlucky call, but it is what it is," Helias coach Jay Hebenheimer said. "It was a battle, anytime J.C. and Helias play, it can go either way."
Helias had the better of play in the opening 20 minutes before Jefferson City rounded with a little better effort in the final 20 as the game was scoreless at intermission.
"It was a typical Jays-Helias game where you got entertainment value," Blake said.
Helias, which outshot Jefferson City 7-3 in the first half, had a great chance to score with 26 minutes remaining.
Isaac Johnson of the Crusaders broke down the left side and eluded a pair of Jays defenders to get a shot on an open Jefferson City net. But Jays sophomore Bowen West ran back and cleared the ball before it could cross the line.
"It's game over there if that goes in," Blake said.
Then with 21:12 left, Ethan Blake converted the penalty kick to give the Jays a 1-0 lead.
But Helias wasn't going to go down without a fight. With 5:30 remaining, Nick Brandt had a hard liner go just wide of Jefferson City net. Less than two minutes later, Brandt had a shot rattle off the crossbar.
"If that ball that Nick hits is an inch lower, it's tied," Blake said. "We weathered the storm. But this team has been fighters from the start of the season and we fought for this win."
Helias finished with a 12-5 edge in shots, incuding a 6-2 advantage in those on goal.
"It seems like there was cellophane on the goal tonight and we just couldn't get the ball in there," Hebenheimer said. "The finish eluded us tonight. I don't want to say we dominated control of the game, but I think we possessed really well, we just missed our chances to finish.
"Luck counts and sometimes it beats you."
The loss snapped an 11-game winning streak by the Crusaders.
"We're playing really good soccer right now and I think teams get really amped up to play us," Hebenheimer said. "But we can't let this game dictate the rest of our season."
The game was scheduled to be a Jefferson City home game at the 179 Soccer Park. But Sunday's rain and Monday's forecast caused the game to be shifted to the Crusaders Athletic Complex.
"It was important that we got this game in," Blake said. "It's different playing any game away than it is at home, but we really needed to play today."
Helias (12-5) is back in action Wednesday at home against Father Tolton and Thursday against Marshall.
"This is going to be a tough week for us," Hebenheimer said.
Jefferson City (10-7-1) will host the Art Firley Shootout this weekend at the 179 Soccer Park. The Jays will face Kickapoo at 8 p.m. Friday and Nixa at 2 p.m. Saturday.
The JV game Monday between the Crusaders and the Jays ended scoreless.