High-scoring Beckman rolls past Columbus Junction

DES MOINES — Dillon Keegan collected a free kick inside the penalty area to the right of the goal and let go with a quick shot that appeared to nestle safely into the net.

Dyersville Beckman supporters at Cownie Park stood and screamed in delight, though Keegan jogged back toward midfield peculiarly waving his arms back and forth in front of him as if to say 'no good.' The ball actually had gone outside the net.

An honest mistake, especially considering Blazers fans have become so used to standing and screaming at goals being scored. It was comparatively an off game offensively for Beckman, which beat Columbus Junction 'only' 3-0 in a Class 1A state soccer quarterfinal Thursday afternoon.

'It was a good team win,' said Beckman striker Kyle Grover. 'We came out and did what we wanted to do. That first one, you always have to get the nervous out. We played well, so that was good.'

'I knew we would be OK, but I had no idea how OK,' said Beckman Coach Mirek Laskowski. 'The first half was kind of shaky, 1-0, but we had tons of fhances. We just couldn't convert those into goals. Their keeper was very good and (we had) some weak shots. It's always like that with the first game. The first 10 or 15 minutes, everyone is trying to settle. But we played very well ... 3-0 is a great start to the tournament.'

Top-ranked and top-seeded Beckman (20-1) leads the state with 87 goals, an average of over four a game. Grover scored six minutes into the first half, then Jared Lueken added two goals in the second half.

They were a couple of beauties. He weaved through four Columbus defenders and into the box, placing a shot under keeper Kenan Todd for the first one, then smashed a shot from the circle at the top of the box home for the second.

Beckman plays Mid-Prairie (16-2) in a noon Friday semifinal.

'We wanted to come out fast in the second half and made sure we finished,' Lueken said.

Grover is the state's second-leading goal scorer with 31. Lueken has 14, tied for second on the team with Carter Boekholder.

'I think that it's just that we've played so much together that we know what other people (on the field) are going to do and how they play,' Lueken said. 'It works well for us.'

Beckman's lone loss was to 2A tourney qualifier Cedar Rapids Xavier. It lost in last year's 1A title game to Iowa City Regina, 4-0.

'We just wanted to come out and make a statement,' Grover said. 'Let people know that we are for real, and that we are here to compete. We want to be in the championship. I think we (showed) that today.'

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