Dyersville Beckman’s first state soccer trip ends early

DES MOINES - It was bad enough its starting goalkeeper went back to Germany on Tuesday. Dyersville Beckman's first boys' state soccer tournament included giving up a penalty kick just two minutes in.

A successfully converted penalty kick.

“A lot of unlucky breaks,” said Beckman's Alex Gudenkauf said after his team's 2-0 loss to Council Bluffs St. Albert in a Class 1A quarterfinal Thursday at Cownie Park. “I don't like to complain about (calls) or anything. But the penalty kick was a close call. I'm sure they're saying the same thing.”

Steve O'Neill's PK was enough to move St. Albert (11-9) through to a semifinal this afternoon against Fort Madison Holy Trinity (15-2). The Falcons had a 2-0 second-half lead when Beckman got a penalty kick of its own by Blake Olderbing that was not successful.

That was essentially the game. Freshman keeper Michael Gibbs played well in place of Sebastian Holzhauer for Beckman (11-7).

He was a foreign-exchange student who had to return home after the school year.

“We're a young program, just seven years,” said Beckman Coach Mirek Laskowski. “Getting to the state tournament and beating some good teams along the way, I'd say it was a successful season. It just ended too quick. I was hoping to play another day.”

“I wouldn't say bittersweet. I think just getting here was enough,” said Olberding. “Yes, we wish we could have gone farther. But just to be here was beyond our own expectations.”