Hempstead ends Kennedy soccer season

DUBUQUE — The game plan was to attack early.

Cedar Rapids Kennedy accomplished that, but it could only stand up for so long.

Tommy Bitter scored the game-winning goal in the 61st minute, lifting Class 3A No. 3-ranked Dubuque Hempstead over the No. 13 Cougars, 2-1, in a physical substate final Saturday at Dalzell Field.

Bobby McCaw also scored for the Mustangs (15-2), who secured just their third state tournament berth and first since 1999.

Skylar Showalter Castorena struck first for Kennedy (9-9), beating Hempstead goalkeeper Frederic Kalb to the lower left corner just 10:24 into the opening half. But Hempstead evened the score just more than 11 minutes later and took control from there.

'Obviously you wanted to get that (first goal) so you weren't chasing the game, Kennedy coach Mike Robertson said. 'That was our objective, was to put the game in a place where we were never chasing the game and we could launch and counter out of it.

'So, the first goal helped us do that because I think from watching you could see that even after we scored, we still had opportunites, attacks going that way. Obviously once it's tied then they're not under pressure to come at us and they're not chasing. Once they were able to go ahead, then we had to push and chase.'

Hempstead outshot the Cougars, 17-6, and finished with a 7-4 advantage in shots on goal.

The Cougars held a 3-2 edge in shots on goal at the break and had four corner kicks to Hempstead's two. The Mustangs finished with a 7-5 edge in corners.

'They came at us. We expected that, they came at us hard,' Hempstead coach Peter Esterhuizen said. 'We were a little overcautious because it's a game they don't want to lose. Then, once we found our feet and we settled down into the game and took control of it, I don't think we lost it.'

Both teams had goals disallowed in a game that was physical throughout and chippy at times.

Kennedy's came on a direct corner kick minutes after McCaw's tying goal — which came in the 22nd minute — but was not counted after the referee said he was not ready for play. The same scenario happened for Hempstead with 8:50 remaining in the game. Bitter headed in the Mustangs' disallowed goal.

Kennedy players and coaches also contended on the field that McCaw's goal should not have counted.

Sheeley got his gloves on a shot from Caleb Rindfleisch, but the ball poked free toward the right side of the goal mouth. McCaw was there to knock it home.

'It happens in soccer, it happens in any sport,' Robertson said. 'But it's like anything: If they disallow the first one, do we get a chance at the second one? It was a corner, but you don't know.'

Nathan Sheeley made five saves in goal for Kennedy. Sheeley was utilized as an extra attacker for the final 100 seconds, but the Cougars were unable to net the equalizer.

Kalb made three saves for Hempstead.

'I thought both teams really went at it hard and our guys gave everything they had, so we're really proud of what our guys did out here today,' Robertson said. 'They just really went after it and cared and put everything they had out there. You obviously want a different result, but very proud of what they did.'