Driven Cedar Rapids Kennedy girls’ soccer team holds off Hempstead in regional final

CEDAR RAPIDS - There was absolutely no way Emily Sass was going to lose to Dubuque Hempstead again.

The Cedar Rapids Kennedy senior had invested far too much into this season for a repeat of a 2-1 loss to the Mustangs on May 19.

Her three goals Monday night were more than enough in a 4-2 victory over Hempstead (6-9) and, for the fourth straight season, Kennedy is headed to the state tournament.

'It's all about taking each game that's right in front of us and dealing with what we can control,” Kennedy Coach Homer Screws said. 'I don't know who we play next, I don't care. We'll focus on that tomorrow.”

Blanked by Iowa City West in the semifinals last season, there was a little more than just a midseason loss driving the Cougars (13-5) on Monday night. More than anything, this group - especially Sass and the other seniors - want another chance to go out on top.

A state championship has eluded Kennedy since the 2014 season - a 5-2 victory over, of all teams, Hempstead - and it's a place they want to get back to. Sass was a freshman scoring just a single goal for that squad, but she remembers that run and the other state tournaments that followed.

It'd be pretty hard to forget, honestly, and the memory sticks with and drives her and, by extension, the team.

'It definitely drives us but we can't just focus on getting to state finals,” Sass said. 'You have to play each game to get there.”

If the way the Cougars are playing right now is any indication, they're ready for Thursday's 5:45 p.m. 3A quarterfinal against No. 3 Ames (14-3) at Cownie Soccer Park.

The first goal of the evening came on an early penalty kick from star freshman Amurie Coder, her seventh goal of the year.

Sass then got her first of the evening in the middle of the period, sending a nice strike straight into the center of the net past Hempstead keeper Kayley Weiland. When the Mustangs' Mariah Morris slammed one in a few minutes later, it looked as if Kennedy was in for a fight.

A strong defensive effort thwarted Hempstead, however, and Sass struck in the 50th minute to again put the Cougars up by two goals. Adding another insurance goal three minutes later, Sass all but assured the Cougars a spot at state.

Morris added one last parting shot, but by then the buzz already had started to fill the stadium.

l Comments: jordan.hansen@thegazette.com