Johnston rallies to stun West in 2OT
Johnston freshman Cael Leach headed in a double-overtime golden goal, bringing the third-ranked Dragons back from a 2-0 second-half deficit to win their first boys’ state soccer championship in the first Class 4A final, 3-2 over No. 6 Iowa City West.
FT, Class 4A Boys 🏆 Johnston 3, Iowa City West 2 (2OT)
Freshman Cael Leach heads in a corner kick with 7:01 left in OT2.
No golden goal in the first OT between West and Johnston.
79' GOAL Johnston: Mateo Munguia gets on the end of a free kick from midfield. 2-2 with 1:37 left.
FT, Class 3A Girls 🏆 Johnston 2, West Des Moines Valley 1 (3-2 PK)
Third-ranked Johnston beats a CIML foe for the title.
60' GOAL Johnston: Some deflections in the box and it falls to Carlos Martinez. This heads to the second-half water break with the result still very much in doubt. West up 2-1.
54' GOAL West: Seconds after a save on the other end, Michael Nelson makes it 2-0.
41' GOAL West: Eighteen seconds after Coach Brad Stiles implored him to ask for the ball, Michael Nelson puts the Trojans up 1-0.
HT: Iowa City West 0, Johnston 0
Liberty wins first state title in historic rout
Ninth-ranked Iowa City Liberty claimed the school’s first state championship in any boys’ sport Saturday by routing No. 6 Norwalk, 5-0, the most-lopsided boys’ soccer championship game in history.
FT, 3A Boys 🏆 Iowa City Liberty 5, Norwalk 0
Liberty wins its first boys' state championship in any sport. Hayden Saul is named all-tournament captain.
56' GOAL Liberty: Rawad Al Souki hits the crossbar, Mason Pentecost cleans it up. At 5-0, this would be the most lopsided boys' state soccer title game ever.
FT, 2A Girls 🏆 Dallas Center-Grimes 2, Waverly-Shell Rock 0
The Mustangs repeat as state champions with a win over the top-ranked Go-Hawks. WSR is runner-up for the second consecutive season.
40' GOAL Liberty: The rout is on. Haider Nasr cuts back in the box and scores with 23 seconds left in the half. 4-0 Lightning at the half.
38' GOAL Liberty: Hayden Saul heads in a corner kick. 3-0.
28' GOAL Liberty: Hayden Saul finds Cooper Saul in the box, his shot goes through the legs of a defender and in. 2-0.
22' GOAL Liberty: Flori Gembo Motshalindo dances through defenders in the box and finds Hayden Saul. Lightning lead Norwalk 1-0.
FT, 2A Boys 🏆 Gilbert 3, Davenport Assumption 2 (8-7 PK)
Gilbert's Matthew Weber saved a PK after 14 consecutive makes between the teams to help deliver the Tigers a state title. Assumption, last year's 1A champion, rallied from 2-0 down with an equalizer with less than a minute left to force OT.
FT, 1A Girls 🏆 Sioux City Heelan 2, Gilbert 0
Heelan won its second title and first since 2015 in its record 21st state tournament. Trelyn White scored both goals.
FT, 1A Boys 🏆 Western Christian 2, Grundy Center/Gladbrook-Reinbeck 0
Western Christian won its first state title after back-to-back runner-up finishes. The Rebels' 20-game win streak came to an end. Miles Baccam scored both goals for the Wolfpack.
FT: Class 3A girls' semifinals
Johnston 2, West Des Moines Dowling 0
West Des Moines Valley 3, Waukee Northwest 1
Weather delay
Friday's Class 3A semifinals are scheduled to kick off at 3 and 3:15 p.m., but a delay started at 2:45 p.m. due to lightning.
FT: Class 2A girls' semifinals
Waverly-Shell Rock 1, Pella 0
Dallas Center-Grimes 1, North Scott 0
FT: Class 1A girls' semifinals
Gilbert 1, Des Moines Christian 0 (2OT)
Sioux City Heelan 4, Davenport Assumption 1
An Iowa City showcase at state soccer
Weather forced Thursday’s 3A and 4A boys’ state soccer semifinals to kick off simultaneously. On fields next to each other, both Iowa City Liberty and Iowa City West advanced to their respective title games. Read more.
FT: Class 4A boys' semifinals
Johnston 3, Ankeny Centennial 1
Iowa City West 3, West Des Moines Dowling 0
FT: Class 3A boys' semifinals
Norwalk 1, Des Moines Hoover 0
Iowa City Liberty 2, Marion 0
59' GOAL West: Just as the fog lifted, Michael Nelson puts the Trojans up 3-0.
35' GOAL West: Michael Nelson puts the Trojans up 2-0 over Dowling.
37' GOAL Liberty: Flori Gembo Motshalindo gives the Lightning a huge lift before halftime. 2-0.
22' GOAL Liberty: Hayden Saul gives Liberty a 1-0 lead over Marion.
2' GOAL West: Daniel Fuentes gives the Trojans another early lead, 1-0 over Dowling.
Class 2A boys' semifinal scores
Davenport Assumption 3, Nevada 2
Gilbert 2, Sioux City Heelan 1
Schedule update
Class 2A semifinals are back underway. Semifinal games in 3A and 4A will now all kick off at 7:30 p.m.
Western Christian outlasts Regina in a 10-round shootout
Second-ranked Western Christian scored with 4:30 remaining against No. 6 Iowa City Regina, then outlasted the Regals, 9-8, in a 10-round penalty shootout to advance to the Class 1A title game for the third consecutive year with a 2-1 win.
Weather delay
It's halftime in the Class 2A semifinals, but a storm is rolling in so play is suspended for now. Gilbert leads Sioux City Heelan 1-0 and Nevada has a 2-0 advantage against Davenport Assumption.
Class 1A boys' semifinal scores
GCGR 3, Des Moines Christian 2 (4-2 PK)
Western Christian 2, Iowa City Regina 1 (9-8 PK)
OT: Both 1A semifinals need extra time after late goals. GCGR and Des Moines Christian tied 2-2. Iowa City Regina and Western Christian tied 1-1.
76' GOAL Western: Aidan Ouwinga heads in a corner kick. 1-1.
Halftime in the 1A boys' semifinals
GCGR 2, Des Moines Christian 0
Iowa City Regina 1, Western Christian 0
18' GOAL Regina: Jack Hoover works a give and go with Laird Holden and scores off the post, his third of the state tournament, to take a 1-0 lead over Western Christian.
Class 1A semifinals underway. GCGR already leads Des Moines Christian 1-0.
West fit 'instinctive goal-scorers together' and is rewarded
Michael Nelson and Regina transfer Kaleab Wendy form a dangerous duo at the top of Iowa City West’s formation. Both scored in the Trojans’ win over Cedar Rapids Kennedy in the boys’ state soccer quarterfinals.
Class 1A semifinals delayed
Scheduled to start at 10 a.m., Thursday's Class 1A semifinals have been pushed back to 11:15 a.m. due to weather. The IHSAA said the following 2A, 3A and 4A games will have "rolling starts," but won't kick off before their scheduled times.
Class 4A boys' state soccer roundup: West blanks Kennedy
Here's the rundown from a delayed Class 4A boys' quarterfinal round that was certainly worth the wait.
Class 4A boys' quarterfinal scores
Ankeny Centennial 2, West Des Moines Valley 0
Johnston 3, Cedar Rapids Prairie 0
Iowa City West 2, Cedar Rapids Kennedy 0
West Des Moines Dowling 2, Ames 1
73' GOAL Johnston: Kody Ngo PK makes it 3-0.
Halftime scores in the Class 4A boys' quarterfinals:
Ankeny Centennial 1, West Des Moines Valley 0
Johnston 2, Cedar Rapids Prairie 0
Iowa City West 2, Cedar Rapids Kennedy 0
West Des Moines Dowling 0, Ames 0
33' GOAL West: Pretty similar to the first one. Michael Nelson gets behind the defense this time. 2-0.
22' GOAL Johnston: Carlos Martinez quickly makes it 2-0.
21' GOAL Johnston: Colby Davis pounces on a rebound right after the water break. Dragons lead Prairie 1-0.
5' GOAL West: Kaleab Wendy runs down a ball over the top and calmly finds the net to give the Trojans a 1-0 lead over Kennedy.
After a one-day delay, all four Class 4A boys' state quarterfinal games set to kick off here at 7:30.
Linn-Mar can't keep up with Johnston on the scoreboard
The tackles were solid. The passes were crisp. The finishing just never arrived for Linn-Mar’s girls’ soccer team Wednesday. It did for Johnston. Over and over in a 5-0 Class 3A state quarterfinal win.
Girls' state soccer roundup: DCG gets hyped
Class 2A defending state champion Dallas Center-Grimes and its hype man are back at Cownie.
After a 10-0 loss in their girls' state soccer debut, the Wolves kept their perspective.
Class 3A girls' quarterfinal scores
Waukee Northwest 2, Ankeny Centennial 0
West Des Moines Valley 2, Pleasant Valley 0
Johnston 5, Linn-Mar 0
West Des Moines Dowling 1, Ankeny 0
56' GOAL Johnston: Kailey Elyea's second goal, Isabella Balsley's third assist. 5-0.
53' GOAL Johnston: Another assist for Isabella Balsley. Mila Felbapov finds the net. 4-0.
46' GOAL Johnston: Lydia Luo scores her second in under two minutes, seconds after a diving save from Meredith Downs on a well-struck shot from Linn-Mar's Abi Roberts. 3-0 Dragons.
44' GOAL Johnston: Isabella Balsley beats everyone to the ball and centers it to Lydia Luo for an empty-net finish. Dragons lead Linn-Mar 2-0.
20' GOAL Johnston: Kailey Elyea fires one in off the bar after a tackle in the box forced the ball right to her. Linn-Mar had most of the early chances but now heads to the water break looking to regroup.
Class 3A girls' quarterfinals are underway. I'm at Field 7 to watch No. 6 Linn-Mar take on No. 3 Johnston.
More Class 2A girls' quarterfinal scores
Waverly-Shell Rock 4, North Polk 1
Pella 1, Adel ADM 0
North Scott 3, Spencer 0
Final: Dallas Center-Grimes 10, Marion 0
This one is over in just 40 minutes as defending state champion Dallas Center-Grimes advances to the Class 2A state semifinals at 12:45 p.m. Friday. Northern Iowa commit Kylie Knief had a hat trick.
13' GOAL DCG: Olivia Cyr has a shot saved but taps in the rebound. 5-0 Mustangs.
8' GOAL DCG: Neela Williamson scores off of a corner kick. Already 4-0 Mustangs.
7' GOAL DCG: Ashlen Hall stops a breakaway, but Alex Hofbauer gets it back and finds Ella Forsyth for her second goal. 3-0.
6' GOAL DCG: Ella Forsyth quickly makes it 2-0.
4' GOAL DCG: Kylie Knief takes advantage of a turnover, getting past a defender and firing in an early opener. Mustangs lead Marion 1-0.
I'm here on Field 6 as Marion warms up for its girls' state soccer debut at 1 p.m. The ninth-ranked Wolves have a daunting challenge in the Class 2A quarterfinals: No. 2 Dallas Center-Grimes, the reigning state champion.
Class 1A girls' quarterfinal scores
Des Moines Christian 2, Hudson 0
Gilbert 2, Underwood 0
Sioux City Heelan 1, Nevada 0
Davenport Assumption 2, Van Meter 0
Preview: Girls' state soccer superlatives
Best rematch? Biggest underdog? To get ready for the week, let’s run through a few superlatives in each of the three classes.
Class 3A boys' quarterfinals
» Roundup: Scores and more from Tuesday's games
» Photos: Cedar Rapids Xavier vs. Des Moines Hoover
» Photos: Iowa City Liberty vs. Dallas Center-Grimes
» Photos: Marion vs. Denison-Schleswig
Class 4A quarterfinals postponed
Just as the Class 4A Iowa high school boys’ state soccer quarterfinals were set to kick off Tuesday night at Cownie Soccer Park, lightning struck in the area.
After waiting it out an hour, the Iowa High School Athletic Association announced the games were postponed to Wednesday. All will start at 7:30 p.m.
Liberty calls on Sauls, upsets No. 1 DCG
Ninth-ranked Iowa City Liberty scored three unanswered goals in its boys’ state soccer debut to knock off top-ranked Dallas Center-Grimes in a Class 3A quarterfinal Tuesday. Read more.
SUSPENDED: Just before kickoff of the Class 4A state quarterfinals, play has been delayed by lightning.
The wind has picked up significantly as Class 3A teams warm up. Looks like rain is on the way.
FT: Marion 3, Iowa City Liberty 1
Marion will take on Iowa City Liberty in the Class 3A semifinals at 4:10 p.m. Thursday.
FT: Iowa City Liberty 4, Dallas Center-Grimes 2
How's that for a state debut? The Lightning upset top-ranked DCG and advance to the Class 3A semifinals at 4:10 p.m. Thursday.
FT: Norwalk 3, Humboldt 2
Norwalk scores the game-winner in the 74th minute and advances to the Class 3A semifinals at 4 p.m. Thursday against Des Moines Hoover.
62' GOAL Denison-Schleswig: Christopher Campos knocks in a rebound of a saved PK. That's the first goal Marion has allowed all season. Wolves lead 3-1.
60' GOAL Marion: Jackson Kirsch scores his 70th of the season and the Wolves are well on their way to the semis, leading Denison-Schleswig 3-0.
FT: Des Moines Hoover 6, Cedar Rapids Xavier 0
Huskies move on to the Class 3A semifinals at 4 p.m. Thursday. Xavier finishes 6-11.
58' GOAL Liberty: Cooper Saul shoots from the top of the box, it takes a deflection (I think off a DCG defender) and spins away from the keeper. Lightning have their first state tournament lead, 3-2.
46' GOAL Liberty: Roman Riggs lobs a shot from the right side that is tipped and sits on the goal line agonizingly long, then Hayden Saul taps it in before it can be cleared. 2-2.
44' GOAL DCG: Ben Jackson with a quick turn and finish to restore the Mustangs' lead, 2-1 over Iowa City Liberty.
HT: Marion 2, Denison-Schleswig 0
36' GOAL Marion: Seth Morgan hits the post with a shot, collects the rebound and crosses to Sawyer Udelhofen for the point-blank finish. Two freshmen on the board for the Wolves, who lead Denison-Schleswig 2-0.
HT: Dallas Center-Grimes 1, Iowa City Liberty 1
HT: Norwalk 2, Humboldt 1
26' GOAL Liberty: Senior Hayden Saul ties it up, 1-1 against DCG.
HT: Des Moines Hoover 4, Cedar Rapids Xavier 0
4' GOAL Marion: Bryker Langfald puts the Wolves up 1-0 against Denison-Schleswig.
7' GOAL DCG: Mustangs take an early 1-0 lead over Iowa City Liberty through Ben Jackson.
22' GOAL Hoover: Maxim Bebanga settles a corner kick in the box, turns and scores. Huskies lead Xavier 2-0.
3' GOAL Hoover: Remi Saidi gives the Huskies a 1-0 lead over Cedar Rapids Xavier and a great Hoover crowd has a lot to cheer about early.
Boys' state soccer 1A and 2A quarterfinal roundup: West Branch shut out, but savors state debut
Here are the scores, stats and more reaction from Tuesday's Class 1A and 2A boys' state soccer quarterfinals.
FT: Sioux City Heelan 5, Center Point-Urbana 0
The Crusaders advance to play Gilbert in the Class 2A semifinals at 1:10 p.m. Thursday. The Stormin' Pointers finish 12-4 and bring back most of their roster next season.
71' GOAL Heelan: Alejandro Suarez draws a PK and completes his hat trick. Crusaders lead CPU 5-0.
FT: Gilbert 5, Greene County 0
Tyler Holtan had a hat trick in the first 30 minutes and top-ranked Gilbert rolled to the Class 2A semifinals, where it will play at 1:10 p.m. Thursday.
FT: Nevada 1, Webster City 0
Cubs advance to face Davenport Assumption in the Class 2A semifinals at 1 p.m. Thursday.
59' GOAL Heelan: Kameron Fjeldheim gets his foot to the ball after a corner kick bounced around in the box. It's 4-0 Crusaders.
FT: Davenport Assumption 2, Perry 0
After winning last year's 1A title, the Knights advance to the Class 2A state semifinals at 1 p.m. Thursday.
48' GOAL Heelan: Alejandro Suarez converts a PK to make it 3-0 Crusaders.
HT: Sioux City Heelan 2, Center Point-Urbana 0. Stormin' Pointers had a set-piece opportunity in the final seconds that resulted in an open net. Couple deflected shots and Heelan staves it off.
38' GOAL Heelan: Jesse Castillo taps it in. 2-0. Deflating for CPU just before halftime.
HT: Gilbert 4, Greene County 0
HT: Webster City 0, Nevada 0
HT: Davenport Assumption 1, Perry 0
14' GOAL Heelan: Crusaders have had a few early chances and Alejandro Suarez breaks through for a 1-0 lead over Center Point-Urbana.
Regina and West Liberty play their styles, Regals prevail
The players and coaches involved could have expected just about everything that happened in second-ranked Regina’s 2-1 win over No. 5 West Liberty in the Class 1A boys’ state soccer quarterfinals. The only question was going to be the final score.
» Read more | See photos
FT: Western Christian 1, Treynor 0
Wolfpack have been to the state finals the last two seasons and now try to get back again, taking on Iowa City Regina in the Class 1A semifinals at 10:10 a.m. Thursday.
FT: Iowa City Regina 2, West Liberty 1
Regals get their second one-goal win over River Valley Conference rival West Liberty this season and advance to the Class 1A semifinals at 10:10 a.m. Thursday.
FT: Des Moines Christian 4, West Branch 0
Lions shut out the Bears in West Branch's state debut and advance to face GCGR in the Class 1A semifinals at 10 a.m. Thursday.
FT: GCGR 4, Waterloo Columbus 0
Top-ranked Rebels advance to the Class 1A semifinals at 10 a.m. Thursday.
HT: Western Christian 1, Treynor 0
It's windy out here. A West Branch tent just ended up on the field. Quick response from the reserves to pick it up without having to stop play.
46' GOAL DMC: Grant Dunn gets his second and the Lions lead West Branch 4-0.
HT: Iowa City Regina 2, West Liberty 1
HT: Des Moines Christian 3, West Branch 0
38' GOAL DMC: Counterattack and Grant Dunn gets by the keeper on a breakaway to make it 3-0 just before half.
HT: GCGR 2, Waterloo Columbus 0
22' GOAL Regina: Jack Hoover again. This time he's on the left side and shoots into the roof of the net. Just like that, it's 2-1 Regals.
28' GOAL DMC: West Branch keeper gets a hand on Samuel Overholt's strike, but it's too powerful and finds the net. 2-0 Lions.
19' GOAL Regina: West Liberty back pass in the box goes wrong, Jack Hoover takes it out of the air and knocks it in. 1-1.
11' GOAL: Juan Mateo slides in a well-driven, low shot from the left side of the box to give West Liberty a 1-0 lead over Regina
17' GOAL: Aaron Alferink sneaks a shot inside the near post and Des Moines Christian takes a 1-0 lead over West Branch.
Kickoff!
GCGR and Waterloo Columbus have kicked off in the Class 1A quarterfinals and the 2023 state soccer tournaments.
Preview: Boys' state soccer superlatives
Best rematch? Biggest underdog? To get ready for the week, let’s run through a few superlatives in each of the four classes.
State soccer brackets
Follow both tournaments with our updated brackets and schedules.