Regina after No. 4

IOWA CITY - The dynasty continues.

Iowa City Regina beat Davenport Assumption, 3-1, in a Class 1A boys' soccer substate final Saturday to secure a fifth straight trip to the state tournament, where they'll attempt to make history with a fourth straight state title.

Let that sink in.

A fourth straight state title. That's back-to-back-to-back-to-back state championships.

The Regals were propelled by the quick feet of junior forward Aaron Schmitz who scored twice in the opening six minutes on through-balls from freshman Connor Brown and senior Ryan Lynch.

“It means a lot to get to state after eight or nine seniors graduating,” Schmitz said. “We're definitely getting better every practice, every day.”

Assumption, gambling with an offside trap, was exposed by Schmitz's diagonal runs and breakaway speed.

“He's a marked man,” Regina Coach Rick Larew said. “People know who he is. Now he has to find other ways to score, and that's what he's been doing.”

The Knights adjusted, dropping senior center back Cole Clements into a sweeping position. The change stemmed the assault, but the damage had been done.

Down two, Assumption settled into its offense. But sophomore goalkeeper Aiden Mullan was colossal, swallowing every cross and long ball unfortunate enough to enter the box.

“This week in practice we did a lot of work with crossing and coming out and getting the ball, because I used to struggle with that,” Mullan said. “We worked hard on it, and I felt really comfortable with it.”

Schmitz got his hat trick with two minutes left in the first half off a through-ball from junior midfielder A.J. Adams, catching the Assumption defenders flat again.

Knights forward Loren Rosas scored with five minutes left, striking the ball into the bottom corner of the net from about 20 yards out.

Regina is seeded fifth at state and plays Council Bluffs St. Albert at noon Thursday in Des Moines.