Kennedy’s Carly Langhurst picked the exact right time to score her very first goal of the season.

With time winding down in a do-or-die dual at undefeated and top-ranked Linn-Mar Monday night, the sophomore defender sped from one end of the field to the other and tapped in the game’s only score.

She seized the moment and sent the Cougars to the Class 3A state tournament Thursday in Des Moines at the Cownie Soccer Park.

It was an evenly contested match, played mostly 20 yards on either side of midfield, with neither team giving an inch. But with three minutes left in a scoreless tie, Langhurst fielded a free ball 70 yards from her own goal and took off dribbling downfield.

“I was back deep with her and she just said, ‘I’m getting it,’" said fellow defender Jordan Holmes, the senior stalwart of the back line. “Carly likes to take chances, and I just said, ‘Go for it.’"

With sophomore Linden Runels providing cover, Langhurst tore for the goal and passed across the field to soph Sydney Hayden, who lofted the ball just over the fingertips of Lions all-state keeper Rylie Frese.

“When Syd passed it over the top, all I had to do was tap in it,” said Langhurst. “It was all her doing. I just happened to be there.”

Linn-Mar’s season ended with its first loss after 18 straight wins.

Neither longtime Lions Coach Steve Dickinson nor rookie Cougars Coach Scott Myers called the outcome an upset, however, even though Kennedy came into the regional unranked at 12-6.

“We knew it would be a hard-fought, back-and-forth game,” said Dickinson.

“It was just what we thought it would be except they got one goal and we didn’t.

“But I’ve said before that Kennedy’s record was deceiving. They started the season ranked second in the state, and most of their losses were against top-five teams.”

Myers, who took the helm mid-season when Linn-Mar won the regular season meeting 3-2, said injuries have plagued the team all season. Except for starter Morgan Petsche, who’s expected to be ready for state, his players were finally healthy for the revenge showdown Monday.

“We’ve been down and out this year, but the girls just would not give up,” said Myers, who moved up when former coach Andrew McKnight took a job with the Iowa City police department.

“Linn-Mar obviously has a great team. But our girls believed in themselves, and they belived in each other. Tonight they proved what they were capable of.”

Despite the defeat, Dickinson said this marked Linn-Mar’s finest season.

“We went through the season 18-0, and it’s the highest we’ve ever been ranked,” he noted. "We had a fantastic year and the girls should be very proud.”