THE WEBSTER CITY SOCCER TEAM stands with their Class 2A trophy after losing to Nevada on Tuesday. (Photo by Britt Kudla)

DES MOINES — In most of their closest matches all throughout the 2023 spring campaign, the Webster City boys’ soccer team came out victorious. In fixtures where one goal made the difference, the Lynx boasted a solid 4-1 record.

That was, until they entered the Class 2A Quarterfinal Round of the Iowa High School Athletic Association’s State Soccer Tournament.

In a game of mere inches against No. 5 seed Nevada, the Lynx were on the wrong end of a call within the penalty box, allowing the Cubs to end Webster City’s exceptional season with a 1-0 decision on Tuesday afternoon on Field 8 within the Cownie Soccer Complex.

In the 64th minute, Nevada drew a foul inches inside of the Webster City penalty box, allowing Drew Robinson to score the match’s lone goal. With the lead in hand, the Cubs — in their 13th overall tournament appearance — allowed their defense to suffocate any hopes of a late equalizer from junior Eduardo Perez, sophomore Eric Calles Torres or sophomore Eddy Fuentes Cruz.

Leading up to the crucial moment, both the Lynx and Nevada exchanged missed opportunities in the first half of play.

Due to the season ending setback, the purple and gold side closed their brilliant campaign with a 14-2 overall record. It was a season of accomplishment, as the Lynx clinched a share of the North Central Conference and earned their first trip to the state tournament since 2012.

The Cubs, who improved to 16-4 overall, advanced to the Class 2A state semifinals. There, Nevada will face top seed Davenport Assumption at 1 p.m. at the Cownie Soccer Complex.

In the early stages of the match, Webster City threatened to score due to pronounced runs from Perez and Calles Torres. Nevada countered late in the first half, trading crosses in front of senior goalkeeper Jonny Magdaleno.

Magdaleno kept his composure, before the threat fell through.

At intermission, both the Lynx and Cubs were staring up at a scoreless tie.

With 16 minutes left in the match, the Lynx caught a foul barely inside of the penalty box, which led to Robinson’s 40th goal of the season.

Webster City attempted to counter, but was met with fierce resistance from the Cubs. Nevada had more opportunities to score late in the match, but smart goalkeeping from Magdaleno kept the highly competitive fixture within reach for the purple-clad Lynx.

With the end of the Lynx’s season, Webster City will bid farewell to several senior starters in Magdaleno, Adan Licea, Everardo Hernandez, Oscar Interiano and Isaac Haule. The Lynx will also see the departure of Pedro Zen Mire and Allan Argueta.

However, the experience could prove valuable to WCHS head boys’ soccer coach Craig Signorin and his team.

The nucleus of the team returns next spring, with Perez, Aidan Rahe, Walfre Gonzales Lopez and Francisco Arguera Chavez leading the way. Fuentes Cruz, the Lynx’s leading scorer with 24 goals in 2023, is bound to return, alongside Calles Torres and Conner Peck.

According to Signorin, there will be several incoming freshmen who could challenge for spots on the varsity roster.