No. 3 Kennedy shuts down top-ranked Iowa City West, 2-0

IOWA CITY — No. 3 Cedar Rapids Kennedy's stout defense decided Thursday's game between the two Mississippi Valley Conference teams predicted to challenge for league and state titles.

Kennedy's 2-0 victory over defending state champion No. 1 Iowa City West at Barker Field gave the Cougars an early shot of momentum in the young season.

Both coaches gave credit to the Cougars' back line, featuring all-state senior center backs Carly Langhurst and Anna Frerichs, both of whom are Iowa State recruits, and goalkeeper Olivia Weigel.

'We've worked mostly on defense. We're getting there,' Kennedy Coach Scott Myers said, smiling.

'The defense really set the tone,' Weigel said. 'It made me feel comfortable back there. I didn't have to worry about the shots I was getting.'

Langhurst missed all of last season with injuries, and she is a perfect complement for Frerichs, a longtime club teammate.

'For us, we're still getting used to playing with each other,' Langhurst said. 'The two outside Ds, I haven't played with yet.'

It didn't matter.

'Kennedy understands how to play the game,' West Coach Dave Rosenthal said. 'They understand how to take advantage of weaknesses. They are fresh; it's the beginning of the season for them.'

Myers acknowledged that his team has only played two games, winning both, while West (3-3) has played six, all against top-flight competition. Rosenthal said the schedule, which included losses to Downers Grove (Ill.) and Pleasant Valley, has taken a toll.

'We're banged up,' he said. 'We didn't deal with this (injuries) last year. There's a lot of luck that goes into staying healthy. We're playing pretty well for the stage we're at right now. We just have to hold it together emotionally and mentally until we get ourselves physically healthy.'

Neither team found the net in the first half but Kennedy senior Linden Runels broke the ice on a 25-yard shot in the 47th minute. Two minutes later Olivia Hellweg scored in front of the net in the midst of a scrum after a corner from Sydney Hayden.

West had chances in both halves, but Weigel was never out of position and handled each chance deftly.