Late Abi Roberts goal sends Linn-Mar back to girls’ state soccer tournament

MARION — When Linn-Mar needs a goal, Abi Roberts often delivers.

The junior forward entered Thursday night tied for seventh in Class 3A with 20 goals scored this season.

Her 21st tally delivered the Lions to the state tournament.

“It was more of a team goal, we did work up the field together,” Roberts said after her score in the 70th minute was the difference in a 2-1 victory for the fourth-ranked Lions over No. 13 Iowa City West in a Class 3A girls’ soccer regional final at Linn-Mar Stadium. “All game, our shots weren’t falling quite right and I just thought, ‘Let’s try to test the keeper, put one up.’ And it was a great outcome. We were all very happy to get that.”

With the win, Linn-Mar (16-3) advanced to the state tournament for the second straight year and fourth time in six seasons, but the first under first-year Lions Coach Hannah Clark.

“It’s been awesome,” Clark said. “The girls are amazing. They are very talented, very humble. They are hard workers, so it is easy to work with them. It is a lot of fun. They just get down to work.”

The first half ended in a scoreless defensive stalemate. Linn-Mar got on the scoreboard six minutes into the second half when senior midfielder MacKenzie Cejka scooted a strike into the net from 15 yards away. It was the ninth goal this season for Cejka.

“It kind of allows us to take a little bit of a breather,” Linn-Mar senior defender Tessa Casebolt said. “But we need to make sure that we adapt and are ready for the team to come back stronger.”

It took just two minutes for West to respond. A Linn-Mar foul in its own penalty area allowed West senior midfielder Serene Hamzeh to attempt a penalty kick, which she easily converted to tie the match.

The 1-1 deadlock held true for another 20-plus minutes before Roberts’ 60-foot shot found the top-right corner of the West net. Now at 21 goals this season, Roberts has matched her total from last year. If the 2023 3A second team all-state selection is to establish a new career high, it will come in Des Moines.

“It’s amazing,” Casebolt said. “We have so much confidence in her and she just does such good things for our team.”

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Photos: Linn-Mar beats Iowa City West in a girls’ soccer regional final

West ends its season at 11-5. Linn-Mar earned the No. 4 seed for the state tournament, which begins Tuesday in Des Moines. The Lions will play a 3A state quarterfinal match at 3:15 p.m. against fifth-seeded West Des Moines Valley (15-3).

Linn-Mar lost to Valley, 1-0, at Ankeny Centennial March 30 and has been eliminated in the quarterfinal round in each of its last three state tournament appearances.

“Last year was a very heavy loss in Des Moines,” Roberts said. “Everyone on this team, we have a lot of returners and we’re going to fight to win that game. … We have individual players that can do it, but really working as a team is going to help us get further.”