SEDALIA - Jack Rubenstein, the Rock Bridge girls soccer assistant coach who trains the team’s goalkeepers, can work with a keeper on the basic dives. He can teach techniques: Rubenstein said he instructs goalies to lead with their hands instead of their feet. However, there’s one thing he can’t coach - instincts.

No problem. Carrie Levy doesn’t need work on that. The freshman goalkeeper’s natural inclinations were flawless last night in a 1-0 victory over Hickman in the Class 2 District 10 Tournament.

Rock Bridge advanced to play Smith-Cotton, the host and second seed, at 7 tonight in the semifinals at Susie Ditzfeld Memorial Field.

"We’re confident to have her back there. … I believe she’s confident to be back there," Rock Bridge Coach Kelly Gates said. "It shows on the breakaway."

In the 55th minute, Amanda Sudduth played a perfectly weighted ball over Bruins central defender Jeanna Ross. Katie LaRue ran onto the ball and dribbled in on Levy all alone.

Levy was patient. When LaRue took a touch and the ball got caught underneath her body for a split second, Levy didn’t hesitate. She closed and made the save. The ball caromed off her body, but she managed to cover the rebound.

"I knew if I came out too soon, she would pick a corner and it would be in," Levy said. "So I waited until she got closer, and I creeped up on her and I got as big as I could and I just stepped in front of the ball."

Levy denied LaRue again in the 68th minute after Lauren Kaufman’s free kick dropped in behind the Bruins’ defense. Levy cut down the angle and LaRue had nowhere to go with the shot.

"She always seems to make sure she’s in good position," Rubenstein said. "Being in good position makes your saves easy. Point-blank saves are just gonna hit her. That’s about as easy as it gets."

Levy’s first big save of the game came in the 23rd minute. LaRue got past Ross and had just the goalie to beat. She fired a quick shot to the near post, but Levy pushed it out of bounds. In the 57th minute, Kewpies freshman Emily Darter beat Beau Reiske on the right side and dribbled in on goal. Levy collected the ball before Darter could get a shot off or play it to LaRue.

Stopping LaRue also required a bit of luck.

With less than two minutes to play, the game fell into a monotonous rut. Hickman threw the ball in from the left corner. Rock Bridge kicked or headed the ball out of bounds to kill time. Repeat.

This played out several times before the Kewpies got the ball to LaRue. She spun and fired a shot that appeared headed for the upper 90.

"It was a great shot," Levy said. "Basically, in my mind, I was thinking, ‘That’s either gonna hit the post and barely go in or it’s going over.’ "

The ball glanced off the crossbar, but instead of dropping into the back of the net and tying the score with less than 30 seconds to play, it bounced out.

Rubenstein, however, did teach Lauren Kelly how to score the game-winning goal.

Working one-on-one with Kelly during practice before districts, he showed her how to bend the ball on free kicks.

"I changed my whole" approach, Kelly said. "I usually strike it as hard as I can."

Instead, after Liz Gayer was whistled for a hand ball about 30 yards out, Kelly sent a looping, hooking shot over the two-person wall and just underneath the crossbar.

"I just kept practicing bending it, and it paid off," Kelly said.

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