Saints in the mix for ninth state title

CEDAR RAPIDS - Just eight minutes into the second half, Xavier girls' soccer coach Bailey Winter pulled one of her best players in a scoreless game against Pella in a Class 2A regional final.

She had to tell midfielder Marisa Berutti something.

Winter talked strategy with Berutti and as quickly as the senior midfielder had come off the pitch, she stepped back on to put her coach's plan into action.

It worked.

In the 68th minute, Berutti took a centering pass from Katie Ives 20 meters out from net. Berutti, left alone by the Pella defenders, had a perfect strike that sailed just over the fingertips of Dutch netminder Jeannie Etnyre last night at Xavier.

'I lost the defender and Katie played the ball,” Berutti said. 'I took the touch and hit it. It's been happening in the right spot at the right time - the sweet spot.”

The Saints held off Pella's attacks from then on, and will advance to the state tournament to pursue a ninth straight state championship following the 1-0 victory.

'She's a captain and a four-year starter - there's a lot of pressure on her to lead,” Winter said. 'I had to relay a message through her, that's what I do - make sure we keep momentum and let reality set in.”

Berutti had an identical goal to the one she scored against Pella in last week's 2-0 win over Grinnell in the regional semifinal. She calls that kind of lofting goal the 'sweet spot” while her coach calls it a 'jump goal.”

Call it what you will, but what's perhaps most surprising is Berutti said her last goal in her home finale of her decorated soccer career wasn't her favorite.

'It's one of them, but not my favorite,” Berutti said. 'I've had a couple of headers against Linn-Mar, but it's in my top-5.”

Either way, the goal brings Xavier to the state tournament and, even though eyes will be watching to see if the Saints can bring home their ninth state title in the last nine years, Winter said that her players are just focused on winning one game at a time - records and streaks be darned.

'The pressure they feel has nothing to do with the streak - we already have the record,” Winter said. 'They want to win. Going to state is what they want, they want to win it all. They want to do well.”

l Comments: ben.ross@thegazettecompany.com