Union rolls back to Class 1A state title game

MUSCATINE - They're playing a parochial school from eastern Iowa in Saturday's Class 1A state soccer championship game. But it's not the parochial school from eastern Iowa the LaPorte City Union Knights really wanted to play.

"It's great, but it's a little bittersweet because we don't get to play Xavier," Union Coach Lizzie Zondo said after her club's 4-1 romp past Sioux City Heelan in a 1A semifinal Friday afternoon. "As competitors, they're the the ones we wanted to play."

The Saints handed Union its only loss the previous two years, including 2-1 in last year's state title game. They bumped up to Class 2A this season, meaning the Knights will have to "settle" for Davenport Assumption (20-1).

This battle of No. 1 versus No. 2 should be a doozy. It'll be televised live on KCRG-9.2.

"We're really looking forward to Assumpion tomorrow," Zondo said. "It'll be really good competition."

Union (18-0) took out Heelan right away, as Casey Barney scored just 2:52 in. Noel Mahood made it 2-0 with a goal midway through the first half.

It went to 3-0 on a Kylie Powell goal three minutes into the second half. Heelan (14-5) cut the lead to 3-1 nine minutes later, leaving you wonder if this would be another game like Union's quarterfinal Thursday against Council Bluffs St. Albert, when it built a 3-0 lead but had to hang on to win 3-2.

But that question was answered when Powell scored her state-leading 51st goal a short time later on a header after a Brittany Frush corner kick.

"Casey Barney and Kylie had really nice finishes," said Mahood. "We just had to keep going. Just continue to go for the goal."

"We really thought it would be a one-goal difference. We're very happy with the outcome."