SOCCER

Iowa City Liberty's slow start is costly in Class 2A soccer regional final vs. Marion

Raven Moore
Iowa City Press-Citizen

In a 3-0 hole going into halftime, the Liberty Lightning girls soccer players had their work cut out for them if they wanted to beat the Marion Wolves in the Class 2A - Region 4 Championship game.

"To be quite honest with you, everyone's head was down," coach Frank Fiordellisi said after the 3-2 loss. "99% of them thought that we were going to lose and I kind of thought we were too. I knew the only way to change that was to be positive. I literally told everyone, 'We are going to win this game. Do not step on the field if you do not believe that we are going to win."

So, when the team came out in the second half, it was clear that their optimistic mindset was paying dividends.

Just 21 seconds into half the Lightning's leading scorer, Callie Stanley scored the team's first goal of the game.

Iowa City Liberty's Callie Stanley, right, dribbles as Marion's Katelyn Allison defends during a Class 2A girls soccer regional final Thursday at Marion.

As the team celebrated the much-needed goal, it was clear to everyone in attendance that the momentum was starting to shift.

16 minutes later, Stanley collided with a Marion player, setting up a penalty kick.

After she made that with what looked to be relative ease, Fiordellisi said that it made him ponder how different the game could have gone.

"I am sad for the girls because I know that had we showed that same desire and competitiveness in the first half, I think we would have been able to take care of business," Fiordellisi said. "If we just do that in the first half, we are sitting pretty. It is super hard to convey the message when everyone is upset, but I am super proud of the girls."

From that moment on, it seemed like Liberty had gotten several more chances to tie the game, but for one reason or another, their shots failed to find their way into the goal.

That wound up costing the Lightning as time had run out on what could have been their biggest comeback of the season.

Hoping that his returning players can use this loss as motivation for next season, Fiordellisi said that Thursday's game was a prime example of why it is important to avoid slow starts.

"It is an 80-minute game," Fiordellisi said. "It can be a cruel game because everything can come down to one play. You have to play for 80 minutes because just playing for 75 can be the difference of the game."