No. 1 Kennedy holds off Iowa City High in regional final

CEDAR RAPIDS — After winning 18 consecutive games, what's one more? The stream of happy Kennedy girls' soccer players running out onto the Kingston Stadium turf for a final celebratory dogpile was ample evidence that winning a regional final is not just another game.

Top-ranked Kennedy scored in the third minute and that was it for both teams as the Cougars defeated a plucky Iowa City High team, 1-0, Monday night to earn their 10th trip to the state tournament. Kennedy won titles in 2014, 2012 and 2009.

The Cougars will meet No. 14 West Des Moines Valley in the quarterfinals at 5:45 p.m. Thursday.

Monday's winning goal came from sophomore starter Kenadee Dekko.

'We had the wind in the first half and I had a shot, and ... might as well take it,' she said. The shot came from about 25 yards out on top of the box and soared over City keeper Naomi Meurice.

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'It was a tough shot for her, and she dealt with it the rest of the game,' City Coach Michael Prunty said. 'Give credit, it's a big goal in a big game. But as Naomi progresses she catches that.'

The wind also made it hard for City to clear the ball in the first half.

Midfielder Morgan Petsche had several good shots in the game, one hit the crossbar and one Meurice saved with a great dive.

'We had chances, it's not like we didn't get any shots after the first one,' she said.

Kennedy was consistently quicker to the ball and more aggressive.

'Over the season we've gotten so close and learned how each other plays,' Petsche said. 'We're able to get to the ball quickly. Our one idea is just to keep the other team from turning so we keep the pressure really high.'

Kennedy won the regular-season game 1-0 two months ago.

'They are a good team; Michael (Prunty) is a great coach,' Cougar Coach Scott Myers said. 'They've got some great athletes. We knew coming in that they expected to win. We have nine seniors who know what it means.'

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City High finished 12-6, and if it had had this lineup the whole year it wouldn't have faced one of the best teams in the state in a regional final. The Little Hawks had all hands on deck and spent much of the second half attacking to try to get the equalizer.

'Compared to the chances they had, our chances were just as good,' Prunty said. 'They finished theirs and ours, the timing was off.

'But we created enough chances to get back in the game.

'I told them they lost to the eventual state champion, but that's a team that's at least going to get to the final.'