Kennedy Close To Entering National Top 25

The Cougars have moved up again this past week and are now ranked as the nations #26 team in spring boys soccer, according to ESPN Rise. The weekly poll, the FAB 50, conducts a national ranking of all teams in all states that play spring soccer in the United States. Last week Kennedy was ranked #29 and moved up three spots this week. This is the highest national ranking that the Cougars have ever garnered, the previous record being the week seven poll that had Kennedy ranked #28.

Comeback Win Against Prairie Seals MVC Title

Kennedy made winning its first MVC title since 2004 anything but easy on Thursday night. Hosting the Hawks of Prairie, the Cougars had to make another second half comeback and then win their third match this season in penalty kicks to seal up the Mississippi Division title in the MVC.

The Cougars started the match strong and had control of the play from the start, knocking the ball around and keeping possession deep in the Hawks end of the field. But, the speed of play was a little too slow and Prairie’s solid defensive line was able to handle the Cougars’ attack. The Hawks were playing a defensive game and relying on the counter-attack to generate offense, and it did in the 24th minute. Kennedy’s defense, the second stingiest in the MVC giving up only 5 goals in 13 games and had not given up a goal in 702 minutes of play, had a miscommunication in the back and allowed a ball to get over the top with no cover behind junior Nick Seedorff. Seedorff almost recovered and senior goalkeeper Tyler Sievertsen almost came out fast enough, but the Prairie forward got a foot to the ball and flicked it past Sievertsen into the goal, giving the Hawks the lead, 1-0.

The half finished out with Kennedy attacking the Prairie goal, but not getting many good scoring opportunities.

In the second half the Cougars picked up the intensity of their play and began to completely dominate the match. Prairie began to find it difficult to even get out of its own end and Kennedy started to generate some offensive chances. Still, a few close misses found the Hawks with the lead and the game clock winding down.

Finally, with slightly more than 12 minutes remaining the Cougars finally struck. After a throw-in, the ball was swung wide to senior Eric Caldwell. Caldwell made and attacking run and combined on a one-two with senior Reid Galbraith. Caldwell’s pass, intended for junior Erik Boyer was knocked away, but it fell to senior Pat Montag. Montag the hero of Tuesday’s victory over Cedar Rapids Washington, played a ball through to junior Phil Vermie. Vermie, cut the ball to his left and fired a ferocious shot high to the back post that beat the Prairie goalkeeper, tying the game at 1-1.

The remainder of the half and the two overtime periods had Kennedy on the attack and with most of the possession and the few chances that were generated. The game inevitably would be decided by penalty kicks – a Kennedy specialty.

In the penalty kick tie-breaker it was time for freshman penalty kick specialist Ben Feltes and he did not disappoint. After Boyer slotted home his penalty, Feltes made a fantastic diving stop to his left to give Kennedy the lead. Seedorff nailed his penalty and Prairie’s second kicker made his kick. Then Vermie slammed home his kick to give the Cougars a two goal lead. Then once again it was Feltes who made another stop to keep the two kick advantage. Then freshman Riley Galbraith put his kick away and Kennedy could finally celebrate its title, beating Prairie 2-1, 4-1 on penalties.

Cougars Take Big Step Towards MVC Title

Kennedy, the leaders in the tough Mississippi Division of the Mississippi Valley Conference, took a big step to becoming the 2009 MVC Champions with its 1-0 win over cross-town rival Cedar Rapids Washington. The win also sewed up the Cedar Rapids Metro title for the Cougars - something they have not earned, along with a MVC title since the 2004 campaign.

The game was played on the hard, choppy surface at Jones Park and it may have been a contributing factor, along with the hard play from the Warriors, that saw Kennedy play a sub-par match. From the opening kick, for the most part, the Cougars could not put together any of their patented quick-passing, possession-oriented offense and let Washington dominate the play for the most part. Although, in the fourth minute, senior Reid Galbraith won a ball and found junior Phil Vermie running in behind the Washington defense. His pass was perfectly weighted and Vermie had a one-on-one with the Warrior goalkeeper. Unfortunately, Vermie missed the target wide left and the early opportunity was wasted.

While the Warriors dominated the possession and the play, the Cougars defense did not allow them many good scoring chances. The best one came in the 16th minute when a shot from distance hit a bump in front of senior goalkeeper Tyler Sievertsen right as he was collecting the ball. The ball rebounded and came out right in front of the goal, but Sievertsen recovered quickly and snuffed out the rebound shot and the ball squirted just wide of the post.

The Cougars would periodically put together a string of passes and cut right through the Warrior defense. That is what lead to a Kennedy corner kick in the 35th minute. Vermie took the corner and placed it well, right at the top of the six-yard box. The ball squirted through a group of players and deflected towards goal. The ball was flicked high in the air on the clearance off the line, and headed towards senior Pat Montag, who was sitting just to the left of the penalty spot. Montag, trying to get to the ball before the defense could close on him, decided to go airborne and hit an incredible bicycle kick. The ball went over the top of two Washington defenders that were on the goal line and into fell into the top left corner of the goal, giving the visitors the lead, 1-0. The remainder of the half ended much like the previous 35 minutes with Washington with the better part of the play and Kennedy defending and not allowing any quality chances on goal.

The second half was played mostly like the first half. Washington had the possession, but the Cougars kept them at bay. The Warriors generated a couple of scoring chances, but they were thwarted by Sievertsen and the Kennedy defense. A last ditch corner kick was punched out by Sievertsen and the Cougars held on for the win, 1-0.

Photo by Jim Slosiarek/The Cedar Rapids Gazette

Cougars Hit National Poll For First Time

For the first time in the history of the boys soccer program at Kennedy High School, the Cougars have been ranked in the ESPN Rise FAB 50 Spring Soccer National Poll. Kennedy entered the poll two weeks ago as the #28 team in the week #7 ranking. Last Week they dropped down to #37 before rebounding this week, up to #29.

This coincides with the Cougars highest state ranking ever from the Iowa High School Soccer Coaches Association when they moved up to #2 in the state. They have been there for the last two weeks and should move up to #1 this week as the previous #1 team, Ankeny, lost this past week.

Kennedy is also regionally ranked by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. According to the most recent poll (12 May 2009), the Cougars are ranked as the #9 team in Region III. Region III consists of teams from Iowa, Nebraska, Utah and Wyoming.

Kennedy Goes to 11-1 With Win Over East

After the first postponement of the season on Tuesday (Cedar Rapids Prairie), Kennedy got back to action on Thursday night as they hosted the Trojans of Waterloo East. The game looked to be an easy one for the Cougars and it was, but not quite as easy as expected.

A much improved East team played aggressive, strong defense for most of the game and did not roll over as they have in the past, especially in the last six years as Kennedy has beaten the Trojans by scores of: 17-0 in 2004, 15-0 in 2005, 6-0 in 2006, 14-0 in 2007, and 19-0 in 2008. And it looked to be just as bad this season as East was winless so far and the Cougars entered the game as the #2 ranked team in the state and the #9 rated team in Region III (states include Iowa, Nebraska, Utah and Wyoming) according to the NSCAA.

The game started on an exceptional note for Kennedy. The Cougars took the opening kickoff, strung together a few passes and had the lead just nine seconds into the match. Junior Zach Pape found fellow junior Erik Boyer at the top of the penalty area. Boyer turned his defender and then slotted the ball back across the area to Pape who had continued his run forward. Pape hit the ball one touch into the top corner of the back post for the 1-0 lead.

Kennedy doubled its lead on a goal from Boyer in the 10th minute. Another string of intricate passes lead to senior Reid Galbraith playing senior Chris Bruns in behind the Trojan defense. Bruns fired a left-footed ball that was going wide until a sliding Boyer tapped the ball home for a 2-0 lead.

East, to its credit, did not back down and kept the Cougars at bay for most of the rest of the half. Kennedy had chances, but could not put any more into the net until the final minute of the half. A corner kick in the final 30 seconds was taken by junior Brian Vander Ploeg. His service was well-placed and met at the front post by Bruns, who deftly poked the ball into the goal, giving the Cougars the lead at the interval, 3-0.

In the second half Kennedy’s quality started to overwhelm the East team’s effort, and once again in the first 10 minutes of the half the Cougars struck. In the 42nd minute, off another corner kick, junior Phil Vermie played the ball to Galbraith. He got down the end-line and found sophomore Nick Bruns making a darting run to the top of the six-yard box. Bruns finished easily to push the Kennedy lead to 4-0.

With the East High defenders tiring, a four goal outburst in ten minutes put the game well out of reach for the Trojans.  It started in the 57th minute with Pape combining with Boyer to send Boyer behind all but the last defender. Boyer then found Vermie on a backside run and slotted the ball to him. Vermie, with composure, easily finished the chance for the 5-0 lead. Three minutes later Kennedy was on the board again off another corner, this time it was Vermie scoring directly for the 6-0 lead. Four minutes after that junior Drake King ripped a shot towards goal that was unluckily deflected in by the Trojan defender, making the score 7-0. Two minute later it was 8-0 when senior Nick Plagman won a ball in the attacking third of the field and found freshman Connor Dochterman on a run through the East defense. Dochterman calmly poked the ball under the goalkeeper for the score.

The final 14 minutes saw the Cougars reserves finish off the game, although the shutout had to be maintained with a sensational save by freshman Ben Feltes in goal with only 3 seconds remaining. The East back made a run forward, dribbled three defenders then momentarily lost possession. He immediately won the ball back and fired a ball heading towards the upper corner of the back post. Feltes, using great footwork, got across the goal and made a fantastic diving save, parrying the ball wide of the goal for a corner kick. Time ran out before the kick could be taken, with Kennedy winning, 8-0.