Assumption loses in state quarterfinals

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By Nate Taylor | Friday, June 6, 2008 1:08 PM CDT | () comments

MUSCATINE, Iowa — The looks on their faces said it all.

As the Davenport Assumption girls soccer team walked off the field for the final time Thursday, each Knight had that look of disappointment.

Some, like senior defender Abby Kent, had their heads down. Others, like junior forward Annie Motto, looked to the sky for answers. Junior goalkeeper Sarah Mainey covered her tears by putting her jersey over her face.

No matter the look, the feeling was the same after the Knights’ 4-0 loss to Cedar Rapids Xavier in the quarterfinal of the Iowa Class 1A state tournament — this was not the ending the Knights had envisioned.

“I thought we were playing them pretty good,” Motto said. “We’ve struggled shooting goals, and to watch them shoot rockets at us all day was difficult to overcome.”

For Motto and the rest of the Knights, Thursday’s game was a rematch the team had been looking forward to. Last year, Xavier beat Assumption 6-1 in the same round. This year, the Knights were ready for revenge.

Instead, what they received was a rude awakening from the No. 1-ranked Saints just six minutes into the game.

“It was a heartbreaking loss for us,” coach Rob Eckert said. “Knowing that we were playing the same team that knocked us out last year, and not having the outcome we wanted, really hurts.”

Xavier’s first goal came from senior midfielder Morgan Showalter dribbling past three defenders and then beating Mainey.

“It was really disheartening to see them score in the first six minutes,” Eckert said. “We came really close to tying it, but it wasn’t enough.”

Although Assumption was down early, the team battled back for most of the first half and started to control the tempo of the game. That set up the two most important plays of the match.

With 5 minutes left in the half, senior defender Erin Fennelly used a free kick from 40 yards to try to tie the game. Fennelly missed the goal by 2 feet.

“There were just some moments when I thought we had a chance,” Fennelly said.

Then, Xavier counterattacked the Knights with another goal 2 minutes before halftime. That goal seemed to put an end to Assumption’s chance at winning. In the second half, Xavier added two goals in the late minutes.

For Kent, having her season ended again by Xavier was tough to take.

“They definitely have a skill level that’s up there,” Kent said. “I think some of it’s the name. because that’s the school that you always play and they end your season. For us, that’s Xavier.”

Even though eight seniors played their final game for Assumption, Fennelly described the moment differently for her team.

“We had been waiting for this moment,” Fennelly said. “To see it end like this, just didn’t seem right.”

Nate Taylor can be contacted at (563) 383-2477 or ntaylor@qctimes.com Comment on this story at qctimes.com