Iowa City Regina Boys Soccer Claims 9th State Title
Nine times, Iowa City Regina boys soccer has gone to the state finals. Nine times, they have come home as state champions.
The top-seeded Regals took care of business against No. 3 St. Albert on Friday, winning 3-2 in the state title match at Mediacom Stadium in Des Moines. Leading the way, as he has all season, was star senior Laird Holden. He recorded a hat trick in his final game as a high schooler, pushing his team to one last victory and capping off a truly dominant season.
Holden Delivers When It Matters Most
After a slower start to the game on a sunny, humid day, Holden got things going for the Regals with a goal in the 26th minute. Connor Hoffman received the ball on a long pass down the field, turned to his left and fired a leading pass to Holden. The senior raced up the left side of the box and touched a shot past the goalkeeper for a 1-0 lead that carried into halftime.
Holden found the back of the net once again in the 43rd minute. He stole a pass deep in the defensive half of St. Albert, shook a defender for a one-on-one opportunity with the goalkeeper and doubled the lead to 2-0 with one swing of his leg. After Regina drew a penalty in the 55th minute, Holden completed his hat trick by finding the back of the net from the penalty spot.
Falcons Fight Back Late
St. Albert did not go down without a fight. The Falcons surged late in the second half, starting with a goal in the 65th minute. A cross from Ben Krohn found Tanner Estell for an easy header to cut the deficit to 3-1. In the 74th minute, a pass from standout Kyle Irwin found Morgan Young for a quick score to get within one goal.
It was not enough, however, and Regina held on for the win. St. Albert's 2026 campaign came to an end with the loss. This was the program's 12th appearance in the state tournament and its second time finishing as a runner-up. Irwin, who led the Falcons this year with an impressive 29 goals and 25 assists, had his offensive output limited by the Regina defense for most of the day.
Coach Credits Team's Hard Work And Commitment
Regina now moves to 9-0 all-time in the state finals. It is a remarkable feat and a major credit to head coach Rick Larew, who has been leading the program for all nine championships. He did not want to take direct credit after the game, choosing instead to praise his team's commitment to making the victory a reality and their attention to detail.