Top-ranked Regina Defeats No. 8 Dyersville Beckman 3-1 to Clinch 11th Consecutive Trip to State Tournament
Pat Harty
Your Prep Sports
IOWA CITY – Two teams that are used to winning state titles in boys soccer were in a different situation on Saturday as Regina hosted fellow powerhouse Dyersville Beckman in Class 1A sub-state final.
This time a berth to the state tournament was on the line for two teams that have combined to win eight of the last nine Class 1A state titles.
Beckman scored the first goal in the game, but the top-ranked Regals responded by scoring three consecutive goals to prevail 3-1 on a blistering hot afternoon.
Regina earned an 11th consecutive trip to the state tournament, while eighth-ranked Beckman finished the season with a 12-7 record.
“We don’t take anything for granted, not a single game,” said Regina coach Rick Larew. “We talk about it that you don’t want to miss a chance to do this. You can’t underestimate your opponent and we emphasize playing five minutes at a time.”
There was little chance of the Regina players looking past Saturday’s game, not with a trip to the state tournament on the line and not with Beckman as the opponent.
Beckman won the state title in 2015 and 2016, while the Regals won it last year.
Regina freshman Alec Wick evened the score at 1-1 by recording his 11th goal of the season in the first half. The Regals scored their second goal in the first half on a team goal and led 2-1 at the break.
Senior Nick Pechous, who is Wick’s cousin, provided some cushion by scoring Regina’s third and final goal on a penalty kick with 8 minutes, 29 seconds left in the second half. It was Pechous’ team-leading 15th goal of the season.
“Yesterday, coach told us if we get down we can’t panic because if we panic then we’re not going to play our game,” Pechous said. “And that’s exactly what we did. We just played our game.”
Pechous downplayed the heat factor, saying that Regina emphasizes conditioning in order to handle conditions like Saturday.
Both teams also had a water break in each half.
“So it was just another day for us, really,” Pechous said. “It affected us a little bit. But with the twenty minute break, it really gave us some time to rejuvenate and get back into things.”
As a freshman, Wick will be making his first appearance in the state tournament. He relishes the opportunity to help Regina add to its rich legacy in boys soccer.
“It’s enjoyable, I love it,” Wick said. “It’s fun playing with my cousin and playing with the team and we have a big target on our back and we’re looking forward to that.”
Regina showed on Saturday that it has a nice mix of veteran leadership and young talent with one of its goals scored by a senior and another by a freshman.
“He’s actually my cousin so we have a little bit of a family connection,” Pechous said of Wick. “So that’s good. He’s had a great year, eleven goals. He was just in the right place at the right time.”
There was a modest celebration on the field after Saturday’s victory, but it didn’t last long. That could have been due partly to the heat, but mostly because Regina isn’t satisfied with just making it to the state tournament.
“We know there is a target on our back and we just have to play knowing that it’s there,” Pechous said. “Just play our game and that’s exactly what we’ve done all year. We have a great record. We have a great attitude and we’re just winning games.”