Xavier boys wins thriller, punches ticket to state soccer tournament

His team needed a keeper this soccer season, so Jack Lemke volunteered.

Never mind he hadn't played the position before. Not growing up, not ever.

'I got a lot of help from my coaches and teammates,” the senior said.

That help, being a quick study and just an overall ability for clutch play in a huge moment served Lemke well Saturday afternoon, as he stopped three penalty shot attempts in third-ranked Xavier's 3-2 escape of No. 12 DeWitt Central in a Class 2A substate final at Heco Field in Cedar Rapids.

The Saints won the penalty kick portion, 4-1, and will head to Des Moines for the state tournament for a 10th consecutive year and for the 17th time in the last 18 years. Xavier will play Thursday vs. Dallas Center-Grimes.

'Lots of emotions going through my head,” Lemke said of the PKs. 'I felt bad for my mom and dad because they had to sit there and watch. They had to be nervous.”

These teams scored four goals the first 20 minutes of the game, then that was it on a scorching day.

Thomas Bean put Xavier (9-7) on top, then Jesper Andreassen tied it. Bean scored again, only to have Central's Brett Baxter tie it.

Xavier had several chances for goals after that but could not get a ball past Central keeper Ezra Onken. In fact, Lemke did not record an official save in the game, that's how lopsided was the shot count.

But, oh, did he come up big in PK stops.

'I think that match took two years off my life,” said Xavier Coach Amir Hadzic. 'I think we had, like, 30 shots on goal. We had two leads, but they both disappeared. We could not buy a goal, and they had a good game plan. Shot after shot, we squandered.”

'Saving the first shot was a big one,” Lemke said. 'That gave me a lot of confidence.”

Central ended its season 12-7.

- Jeff Johnson

IOWA CITY REGINA 3, DYERSVILLE BECKMAN 1 - Top-ranked Iowa City Regina allowed the opening goal of the game but closed with three scores in a row and defeated No. 8 Dyersville Beckman in a Class 1A substate final at Regina High School. The Regals (15-3) are in the state tournament for the 11th year in a row and will defend their state championship from last season.

IOWA MENNONITE 3, SOLON 0 - Jacob Boller scored a goal 70 seconds into the game as second-ranked Iowa Mennonite earned a spot in the spring state tournament for the first time in school history in a Class 1A substate final at Solon. Louis Etienne also scored for IMS (18-1), which had only appeared at state when there was a fall state tournament from 1994-2000.

WILLIAMSBURG 2, NORTH POLK 1 - Junior Leighton Jones scored two goals as Class 1A No. 6 Williamsburg (13-3) qualified for the boys' state tournament for the first time in school history in a 1A substate final at Williamsburg.

HUDSON 2, DECORAH 1 (PK 4-3) - The Class 2A 11th-ranked Decorah boys' soccer team surrendered a tying goal with 11:28 left in regulation before succumbing to No. 9 Hudson on penalty kicks in a substate final at Decorah. The loss denied the Vikings their first trip to the state tournament since 2010.

- Douglas Miles