Regina girls, Solon boys get noteworthy (and freezing) early-season soccer wins

SOLON — The soccer teams of Solon and Iowa City Regina got early-season tests Thursday night, and not just from the typically competitive matches.

With a temperature in the low 30s, steady wind and frequent precipitation, the promise for a soccer doubleheader in the first week of the season was that at least the participants knew how long they needed to brave the elements, with no timeouts and few stoppages.

Then, with 12:39 remaining in the opener and the Regal girls leading 2-1, a handball at the top of the box suddenly provided a new challenge for the players — and the fans bundled in blankets, stocking caps and even a pop-up individual tent — of overtime, once Morgan Link buried her penalty kick to tie the score.

Then double-overtime.

Then a penalty-kick shootout — which was maybe a reprieve for some?

“I was freezing cold until the PK shootout and then it was like, ‘I’m not even cold anymore!’” Regina coach Ann Larew said. “It was just so exciting.”

Courtney Kessler stays warm and comes up big

Finally, at 7:43 p.m., 133 minutes after kickoff, the Regals (1-1) sealed a 3-2 win at Spartan Stadium with Courtney Kessler stopping four shots for a 2-1 advantage in the shootout.

“I have a lot, a lot of layers on,” said Kessler, still not shivering. “A lot of layers. And toe warmers.”

Kessler could have fooled anyone into thinking she had been playing goalkeeper since an early age, rather than this being just her second year playing soccer at all. Not yet fully understanding the procedures, she thought her first save ended the game — then still went out and confidently made three more.

“Already at the start of the season, I could tell she was just so much more confident and ready to go,” Larew said. “I would not have predicted that she would have done that well, that was amazing, just for her to be able to stand up there under pressure after being out here in the cold for all this time, I’m just extremely proud of her.”

» Photos: Iowa City Regina at Solon soccer doubleheader

Grace Gaarde scored Regina’s two goals in regulation, one on a penalty, the second after weaving through two defenders in the box. She and Lydia Pritchard converted Regina’s first two shootout attempts, and that proved to be enough.

“It’s definitely a lot of mental toughness,” Gaarde said. “You’ve gotta keep going. Even when you’re cold and tired and there are still 30 minutes left, you’ve gotta keep going no matter what.”

Freshman Silvie Hendricks scored her first career goal when she tapped in a cross from Link at the back post in the seventh minute to give Solon (1-1) a 1-0 lead.

“I’m so proud of us,” Gaarde said. “We just kept going and kept fighting.”

Solon boys beat Regina for first time in 15 years

The boys, after extending their warmup by cheering on their respective girls’ teams, abandoned any ceremony of a frigid pregame march to midfield for starter introductions and got on with it.

Get on with it Solon certainly did.

Ten months after Regina (0-1) booked a trip to the Class 1A state tournament with a shootout win over Solon, the Spartans (2-0) ended this meeting with a 4-0 win in a prompt 80 minutes.

“We watched (last year’s substate final) a lot (Wednesday) and realized how many opportunities we had that game and just gave the ball away freely,” Solon coach Jeremy McMurrin said. “We felt like if we took care of the ball that we could be pretty successful, and it worked.”

Dillon Bruck lasered a shot from distance into the back of the net in the 30th minute to give Solon a 1-0 halftime lead. Nine 1/2 minutes into the second half, sophomore Eli Freerks threaded a pass to freshman Keegan Conway, who doubled the lead. William Wittich made it 3-0 eight minutes later, then Bruck converted a 64th-minute penalty after he was brought down in the box.

“In years past it’s always been a big goal of ours to win and they just got the better hand. Two times last year,” Bruck said. “We finally got it, so it’s a big accomplishment.”

McMurrin said it’s Solon’s first win over Regina since 2007.

There doesn’t look to be a rematch coming this year, though. Solon is listed in Class 2A in the IHSAA’s preliminary classifications this spring.

Comments: nathan.ford@thegazette.com