It was a tightly contested top 15 clash Wednesday at Iowa City Regina High School in the semifinal round of the Class 1A Substate soccer tournament but No. 3 Iowa City Regina got by No. 11 Iowa Mennonite School 2-1.

The Regals got on the board first, midway through the first half to take a 1-0 lead. IMS found the equalizer late in the half as Isaiah Swantz drove a free kick past the Regal wall and keeper from 25 yards out to tie the game at one going to the break. Both defenses dug in early in the second half, limiting offensive chances for both sides. IMS keeper Blake Bontrager shined in the spotlight making several one-on-one and point blank stops to keep the game tied. Regina broke through for the eventual game winner in the 69th minute when Nick Pechous sprinted past the defense and finished to take a 2-1 lead. IMS pushed forward in the final 10 minutes of the match to try to find the equalizer and despite a pair of good chances, came up short.

The loss snaps Iowa Mennonite’s seven match winning streak as their season comes to a close with a 13-4 overall record. Regina advances to the Substate final Saturday when they host No. 15 Williamsburg.