Little Loushin helps Washington boys beat Xavier in penalty kicks

CEDAR RAPIDS - There's some debate as to just how tall he is, but there's absolutely none about Hunter Loushin's tenacity as an undersized soccer goalkeeper.

"Hunter, what's your height, buddy?" Washington Coach J.P. Graham asked Loushin after their team beat Cedar Rapids Xavier, 1-0, in penalty kicks Tuesday at Xavier. "Five-five?"

"Five-seven," Loushin responded.

Let's just say he's not big, especially at a position where size is a huge (no pun intended) advantage. Loushin stopped one PK, got his fingertips on another and watched yet another sail high and wide as Washington (5-5) won the "shootout," 4-2. Xavier keeper Jordan Hoffman snuffed Daren Mangold on the Warriors' first PK attempt, but Mike Daughtery, Kimu Kasha, Jacob Bjornsen and Austin Bergstrom then all beat him.

"I play really (physically) tough," Loushin said. "I feel like I'm a lot quicker than a lot of taller goalkeepers. I try to use my quickness to my advantage. Then from lifting weights during football season and stuff, I get prettty big. I try and be a little bully around the taller kids."

The teams went scoreless in 80 regulation minutes and 20 overtime minutes. Washington came the closest to a goal, but Flynn Heald's shot from the middle of the penalty box in the closing minutes of the second OT smacked off the crossbar.

Xavier, two-time defending state champs in Class 2A, dropped to 3-5-1. The Saints are ranked third in the latest Iowa High School Soccer Coaches Association poll. Washington was 16th in 3A.

"Not the way you really want to win against a close friend," Graham said, referencing Xavier Coach Amir Hadzic. "But I think we deserved it. We had three or four really good opportunities in the first half. It's our own fault for not finishing. We should have been up at least 2-0 at half. Then we hit the crossbar in the second overtime. I'm proud of the kids for not giving up and battling the whole time."

That includes his less than gargantuan goalie.

"I try not to think about that," Loushin said, when it was pointed out to him that being small is a particular disadvantage in a penalty kick situation. "Before the season, Coach Graham gave me some advice on PKs. It's worked out pretty well."