This one was pretty well over before it started.
The Des Moines Menace, finishing its three-game road trip through Canada, easily dispatched WSA Winnipeg Tuesday night with a 6-0 win.
Des Moines (5-0-1) found the back of the net early and often, notching four goals in an 18-minute span during the first half. The goal-fest started with Jack Griffin taking a cross from Leigh Veidman to open the scoring in the 13th minute.
One minute later, Veidman got on the scoresheet for a goal of his own, tucking a cross in the back of the net.
Ibisevic, who set up Veidman’s goal, added his own goal in the 23rd minute. A free kick to the back post found Austin Bergstorm. The defender nodded the ball back across to Ibisevic, and the U-17 U.S. national team player slotted home the easy goal for a 3-0 lead.
Christian Okeke finished the first-half scoring, sliding in to knock home a cross from James Wypych.
Substitutes Ricky Hoegg and Tommy Barlow each added one in the second half for Des Moines.
The Menace extended its unbeaten streak to 14 with the win. During the run, the Menace has put together 13 wins, including two in one of the toughest places to play in the Heartland Division, Thunder Bay, on Friday and Saturday. The only draw came June 4 against expansion-side Kokomo Mantis FC at home.
The sweep in Thunder Bay was the Menace’s first since 2006, and first time the team took at least four points in Ontario since 2009.
The win also puts Des Moines even with the Chicago Fire U-23’s atop the Heartland Division with two games in hand. The Menace tied the Chicago Fire U-23s (5-2-1, 16 points) after the Fire drew, 2-2, with Thunder Bay in Ontario Tuesday night.
WSA Winnipeg came into Tuesday’s match fresh off a streak of its own, but one that WSA probably wants to forget. Dating back to May 2014, Winnipeg was on a 32-match winless streak. The team killed the streak with a 1-0 upset over Chicago Fire U-23 Sunday evening.
Des Moines will be at home for the next three: St. Louis comes to town for one Saturday, and WSA makes its way to Iowa for the week after for a Friday-Saturday doubleheader.
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