Penalty kick allows Xavier to win 2nd title in row

DES MOINES - Amir Hadzic may have been a little biased, but he's also a referee, so he gets the benefit of the doubt.

"It was the right call," the Cedar Rapids Xavier head coach said. "There is no question."

That call led to a successful Logan Bouchette penalty kick early in the second half that was the only goal in Xavier's 1-0 victory over Norwalk in Saturday's Class 2A state soccer championship game at Cownie Park. It's two in a row and a record five overall for the Saints.

File this one under "they don't ask how you do it, just if you do it."

"It's how the game is," said Xavier's Chad Gilmer. "You can't control that stuff."

Gilmer took an inadvertent cleat to the stomach from Norwalk goalkeeper Zach Schroeder in the game's pivotal play. Gilmer was chasing a bouncing ball that Schroeder ran up on in the penalty area and snatched from the air.

The referee immediately called a foul and gave Schroeder a yellow card, forcing him to leave the game for 10 minutes. Bouchette was called upon to shoot the PK, and he nailed it bottom left corner past substitute keeper Spencer Hoyt.

"Relax, pick a corner and make a pass (at the ball)," said Bouchette, who was on crutches during last year's state championship game because of a torn ACL. "I haven't missed one in a game this year. One of the only people on our team to do that."

Hadzic said Schroeder apologized for the foul after the game.

"I thought I could get to the ball, but I ended up not getting to it," Gilmer said. "Had a little collision. Good call by the ref."

"(Schroeder) said 'Believe me, it was (unintentional). I didn't mean to do it, but I did hit the guy.' He was very nice about it," Hadzic said. "I know it's hard to lose that way, but I don't want to take away from my team. I think we created lots of chances. After yesterday's scorching heat, we came back ready to play, and I think everybody contributed as much as they could."

Especially defensively. Norwalk (12-8) had very few chances against Saints goalkeeper Nate Even, who was named tournament MVP after posting his third straight shutout.

Xavier was unscored upon in all five of its postseason games.

"Just came out and tried to do the job they wanted me to do," said Even, playing soccer for the first time this season. "Our defense was just great."

This Xavier team was just great, finishing with a 17-2-1 record despite getting hit hard by graduation.

"Last year we won, but we knew the (following) season starts the next day," said Gilmer. "You start preparing and just keep going the whole year. Work hard and try to get better."

Here is the 2A all-tournament team:

Sam Koenig (Dubuque Wahlert)

Zubeen Azari (Spirit Lake Park-Okoboji)

Zach Lindsey (Spirit Lake Park-Okoboji)

Connor Adamson (Norwalk)

Nick Bobst (Norwalk)

Nick Wenger (Norwalk)

Tim Bouchard (Cedar Rapids Xavier)

Chad Gilmer (Cedar Rapids Xavier)

Michael Tessmer (Cedar Rapids Xavier)

Captain - Nate Even (Cedar Rapids Xavier)

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