Two Cedar Valley Teams Advance To Girls State Soccer Tournament

Two high school girls soccer teams from the Cedar Valley will be playing for a state title later this week. Waverly-Shell Rock and Waterloo Columbus Catholic both won regional championship games Monday night (June 9, 2014).

In Class-2A, top-ranked Waverly-Shell Rock recorded its 12th-straight victory. The Go-Hawks advanced to the state tournament with an 8-2 victory over Northeast Iowa Conference rival Decorah in Waverly. Waverly-Shell Rock (18-2 overall) will next play 11th-ranked Ankeny (8-7) in a state quarterfinal game at 3 p.m. Thursday at Cownie Soccer Park in Des Moines.

In Class-1A, seventh-ranked Waterloo Columbus Catholic beat 14th-rated Center Point-Urbana 1-0 at Denver. Sophomore Megan McElmeel stepped in front of the keeper and scored the game's lone goal in the 56th minute of play. The goal was the only one allowed by Center Point-Urbana during the post-season. Conversely, the Sailors have not allowed a goal during the playoffs.

The Stormin' Pointers are the last team to score against Columbus. The Sailors ended their regular season with a 4-1 win over Center Point-Urbana.

Columbus (11-4) now moves on to play 5th-ranked Davenport Assumption (15-4) in a state quarterfinal game on Thursday at 12:15 p.m., also at Cownie Soccer Park in Des Moines.

The state tournament appearance will be the fourth and last for the Sailors under Head Coach Jose Infante, who is completing his 14th and final season at Columbus. Infante recently announced that he is stepping down when the 2014 season is completed. He took over the Sailors' program in 2001 and has compiled a 175-53 record at the school.

In other regional finals Monday night, 10th-ranked Gladbrook-Reinbeck (12-6) was denied a state tournament berth. Eighth-ranked Solon (14-5) ended the Rebels' season with a 1-0 victory. In Class-3A action at Johnston, unranked Cedar Falls (10-9) fell to the fifth-ranked Dragons (17-3), 2-1.