The Kennedy boys soccer team is moving on to the Class 3A substate finals on Saturday after topping Marshalltown, 2-0, on Wednesday at Kingston Stadium.

The semifinal game was played in heavy winds of between 20 and 25 mph.

“We played going against a heavy, heavy wind,” Kennedy co-coach Steven Robertson said. “Obviously, that is really tough to play well in, especially a team like us that likes to possess the ball and knock it around. The nice thing is we were able to do that, keep possession and keep them from attacking us when they had the wind at their back.”

The Cougars managed to stay on the attack through much of the first half despite going into the stiff winds.

Their possession paid off in the 18th minute when sophomore Cam Milks ran onto an errant header by a Marshalltown defender at the top of the box and buried it into the net.

“It was crucial to get that goal in the first half,” Robertson said. “It makes it tough for them knowing that they had to go into a 20-25 mile and hour wind all second half.”

With the wind at their backs,the Cougars got an insurance goal after Gabe Christianson drew a penalty in the box after he made a nice hustle play to take the ball from the last defender, who in turn fouled him as he was trying to regain possession. Gabe’s brother, Garet, took the penalty kick for the Cougars and buried it into the lower left-hand corner of the goal.

The No. 7 Cougars (13-5) advance to face ninth-ranked Cedar Falls (13-4) on Saturday at noon at Kingston Stadium.

The Tigers advanced to the substate final after beating Prairie, 1-0, in a penalty-kick shootout Wednesday night.

Kennedy beat Cedar Falls, 4-0, on May 13. Garet and Gabe Christianson scored two goals apiece in that game.

Kennedy 2, Marshalltown 0
Goals – Kennedy: Cam Milks (18th min), Garet Christianson (57th min). Assists – None