Kennedy tough on Clinton

CEDAR RAPIDS - Nothing went right Wednesday for Clinton.

The River Queens were scheduled to leave the high school at 3:15 p.m. to arrive at Cedar Rapids Kennedy in plenty of time for a regional semifinal against the Cougars that was supposed to start at 6 p.m.

The bus was late for the departure, however, and the team did not arrive until 6 p.m., delaying the game by 30 minutes. The River Queens would have been better off staying home.

No. 7 Kennedy dominated in a 10-0 victory to advance to the regional final.

“We didn't know much about Clinton, but I do know my team and we tried to come out and play our game,” Kennedy Coach Andrew McKnight said.

The match ended via mercy rule two minutes into the second half when sophomore Kaela Dickerman kicked the ball past Clinton's goalkeeper for the tenth Kennedy goal. The River Queens didn't record a shot in the game.

The Cougar attack was relentless, especially early when Kennedy scored two goals in the first five minutes.

“We wanted to come out and score a few goals early on and that's what happened,” McKnight said.

Sophomore Emily Feltes had a career night for Kennedy, finishing with six goals on just nine shots.

“It was a fun feeling knowing I could contribute they way I did,” Feltes said.

Another notable Kennedy performance came from Hannah Palomo. The senior scored two first-half goals in her final game at Kennedy.

“On a given day, we are going to be a handful for most teams, but it's up to the players to fulfill their potential,” McKnight said.

Kennedy plays Dubuque Hempstead at 6 p.m. Monday in Kingston Stadium with a state tournament berth on the line.