Third-Ranked Regina Downs No. 4 Solon in Shootout to Extend State Streak to 13
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
IOWA CITY – The rematch was nothing like the regular season meeting but Regina still found a way to get a win.
A little more than a month after steamrolling Solon 7-1 in a regular season meeting Class 1A third-ranked Regina edged the Spartans 4-2 in penalty kicks on Wednesday to extend its state tournament streak to 13 consecutive seasons with a 3-2 win in the Substate 4 title game at Regina.
“We kind of embarrassed them the first time and they took that to heart and they came out and played a heck of a game,” Regina senior Alec Wick said. “They just fought and so we had to fight back. We had to take the punches they shot at us, we fought through the adversity and came out on top.”
Regina (11-7) got a pair of first-half goals from Wick and a huge save from sophomore keeper Dylan Vittetoe in the penalty kick shootout to return to the state tournament for the 13th consecutive season.
The three-time defending 1A champion, Regina will take on Greene County (14-6) in a state quarterfinal on Tuesday at 12:10 at Cownie Soccer Complex in Des Moines.
“I read their hips and I believe what I am telling myself,” Vittetoe said of his penalty kick save. “It feels awesome. It feels like a state championship and how hopefully we can get one of those too.”
Wick scored twice in a span of 28 seconds in the first half to stake Regina to an early 2-0 lead.
The senior all-state got Regina on the board in the 12th minute when a shot squirted away from Solon keeper Dillon Bruck near the edge of the box and Wick converted into an open net.
Less than 30 seconds later Wick struck again, scoring his 29th goal of the season on a low shot from just outside the box.
“We always say five minutes, five minutes of the opening half, the last five minutes of the half and five minutes after a goal either way,” Wick said. “It’s a vulnerable five minutes. We try to keep high intensity in those five minutes.”
Unlike in its first meeting with Regina back on April 17, on Wednesday Solon fought back.
Gabe Yetley cut the lead to in half when he chipped a shot over Vittetoe from 35 yards out with 26:02 left in the opening half.
Solon pulled even in the 38th minute when Eli Freerks put away a bounding ball in front of the Regal net.
“Words can’t say how proud I am of our team,” Solon coach Jeremy McMurrin said. “Last time they were out here on this field they were humiliated and it has eaten at them all year long and they showed some guts. They showed heart.”
After a flurry of goals to end the opening half neither team could find the net in 60 minutes of action after halftime.
Both teams had chances to take a lead in the final 60 minutes but couldn’t convert.
In penalty kicks it was Regina that made the most of its opportunities.
We spend a lot of time on pks, 10 to 15 minutes every night, every night we work on them,” Larew said. “We try to recreate the pressure here.”
Wick, sophomore Evan Lacina and freshman Jack Hoover and Kaleab Wendy all converted penalty kicks.
Vittetoe came up with a diving save of a Bruck attempt to give Regina a 3-2 advantage.
Wendy converted on the ensuing Regina attempt to set off a wild celebration.
“I’ve made a lot of improvement but this whole team has made an insane amount of improvement,” Vittetoe said. “We’ve come a long way.”
Solon, which was seeking its first state tournament berth since 2017 closed the season 13-6.
“We could have quit, we could have quit and they didn’t and as a coach if you aren’t proud of that I don’t know what you would be proud of,” McMurrin said. “I can’t be anything but happy with them.”
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