Dickerman's long blast lifts Kennedy past Bettendorf, into 3A championship game (photo gallery)

MUSCATINE - She's got this sweet little innocent-looking, braces-filled face. But Kaela Dickerman's got some trash-talking ability to her.

Kennedy's Kaela Dickerman (right) celebrates with teammates (from left) Paige Hendrickson (14), Abby Hellweg (6), and Tory Harman (25), following their class 3A semifinal game victory over Bettendorf at the 2012 Iowa Girls High School State Soccer Championships Friday, June 8, 2012 at the Muscatine Soccer Complex in Muscatine. Kennedy won the game 1-0 to advance to tomorrow's final against Ankeny. (Brian Ray/The Gazette-KCRG)

Seriously.

After the Cedar Rapids Kennedy sophomore lifted her soccer team into the Class 3A state tournament finals with a dramatic late goal Friday afternoon, she ran past the Bettendorf cheering section with her arms extended and the words flying. Take that.

"At the beginning of the game, I had fallen on the ground and was kind of hurting," Dickerman explained after Kennedy's 1-0 semifinal win. "They were like 'She's mentally weak. She's not strong.' So after I scored, I went over there and was like 'You think I'm mentally weak?' We're definitely not mentally weak."

Not by a long shot. Which, by the way, was how Dickerman scored her game winner with 7:46 remaining.

She was about 30 yards out straight away when she let go with a right-footed blast that crept under the crossbar and over the outstretched hands of Bettendorf goalkeeper Ali Schuetz. Dickerman hit the right goal post with a shot in the first half and the crossbar in the second, so the soccer gods kind of owed her this one.

However far away it was.

"I don't really know. Actually not as far as ... well, actually, pretty far," she said. "Honestly, I was just trying to get it on goal. Hopefully it would hit the post, and we'd get a rebound or something."

"She's that type of player," said Kennedy Coach Andrew McKnight. "She's very creative, has a cannon for a right foot. We knew that if we kept her in there long enough that she would get an opportunity. That's what happened."

Kennedy (16-4) is in the finals for the first time since 2009. That was the last of four straight championship appearances for the Cougars, and the lone title they've won.

"My freshman year, we won it, had a perfect season, and I'll never forget that," said senior forward Hannah Palomo. "Honestly, I just want to do this for the freshmen, so they can experience it. Lauren Boyer, one of my teammates, said no one else believes in us but us, and we're sticking with that. We're just going on our own drive, and we're taking it to the wall, basically."

Mighty nationally ranked Ankeny (20-0) is the opponent today at 4. The Hawkettes had to rally with two late goals of their own to oust Waukee, 2-1.

Kennedy knows it's a decided underdog. Not that it cares.

"We just wanted to get here," McKnight said. "We knew that if we got here, we'd have a chance. I'm glad we're there, and we'll see what tomorrow brings."