• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Ankeny Fanatic

Your Ankeny Sports Resource

  • Home
  • About
    • Support Us
  • News
    • Podcast
  • Hawks
    • Boys’ Soccer
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Girls’ Soccer
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Girls’ Tennis
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Baseball
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Softball
      • Roster
      • Schedule
  • Jaguars
    • Boys’ Soccer
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Girls’ Soccer
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Girls’ Tennis
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Baseball
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Softball
      • Roster
      • Schedule
You are here: Home / Hawks / Spring / Girls' Soccer / ‘Together We Soar’: Hawkettes look to blend talented newcomers with strong returning cast

‘Together We Soar’: Hawkettes look to blend talented newcomers with strong returning cast

March 26, 2018 by Dan Holm

Ankeny’s Morgan Bennett battles for the ball during a game at Johnston last season. Bennett is one of several returning starters for the Hawkettes.

A year ago, Chloee Kooker was one of the state’s most prolific offensive players, accounting for nearly 40 percent of the Ankeny girls’ soccer team’s goals.

Kooker racked up 25 goals and nine assists while leading the Hawkettes to an 11-8 record. The Indiana State recruit was named to the Class 3A all-state second team by the Iowa Girls’ Coaches Association.

This year, the junior forward likely won’t have to carry such a heavy load. The Ankeny roster has been strengthened by the addition of several talented players, including senior Riley Whitaker, an Iowa Rush club team standout who will play for Iowa next fall.

“We have some new players this year, in which many of them have committed to play at the college level already and are looking forward to the challenges ahead,” said Ankeny coach Dan Bertsch. “Riley is definitely someone to keep an eye on. She is going to make our team better.”

Senior Laina Routson, a Truman State recruit, is another talented newcomer. She is battling for the starting goalkeeper position along with sophomores Sidney Truman and Brenny Frederick, who combined for 71 saves last season.

The new players will try to help Ankeny advance to the state tournament for the second straight year. The Hawkettes posted a 2-1 victory at top-ranked Waukee in a Class 3A substate final last year, then dropped a 3-2 decision to No. 2 Valley in the quarterfinals at Cownie Soccer Park.

Kooker suffered a neck injury during the opening minutes of the state tournament game, but her teammates pulled together and nearly recorded their second straight upset.

“Our goals are to grow as a team throughout the year and build upon the success that we had at the end of last season,” Bertsch said. “The keys to those goals will be our trust in each other and our combined commitment to the process of daily improvement through training and competition.”

Along with Kooker, Ankeny returns several other starters from last year’s team. Seniors Morgan Bennett, Alexis Legg and Taylor Peterson are back along with juniors Saige Adamson, Jaelynn Kueker, Kate Schaeffer and Olivia Sharar.

Sharar was the Hawkettes’ second-leading scorer in 2017, contributing nine goals and seven assists. Legg, an Augustana (S.D.) recruit, had six goals and three assists.

Bennett chipped in three goals and three assists. As a freshman in 2015, she scored the game-winning goal in overtime as Ankeny defeated Pleasant Valley, 2-1, to win the Class 2A state title.

Schaeffer, meanwhile, will again be the leader of the Hawkettes’ defensive unit. She was a team captain as a sophomore.

“The strengths of this team will be defined by their commitment and work ethic to get better every day,” Bertsch said. “This is a very competitive group of talented players that have played many years together throughout their youth careers. Our ability to adapt on the fly due to our tactical knowledge of the game will be a huge asset to us throughout the season, and our technical skills will provide these opportunities for us throughout the season.”

Ankeny will travel to Urbandale for its season opener on April 5. The Hawkettes will then play two games at the Bettendorf Invitational on April 7.

Bertsch said his team is ready for the challenge.

“We have been impressed with the work ethic of the girls thus far,” he said. “Each one of them has come out to work hard, improve and make the players around them stronger. They truly reflect this year’s team motto: ‘Together We Soar’.”

Filed Under: Girls' Soccer, Hawks Tagged With: Alexis Legg, Brenny Frederick, Chloee Kooker, Dan Bertsch, Jaelynn Kueker, Kate Schaeffer, Laina Routson, Morgan Bennett, Olivia Sharar, Riley Whitaker, Saige Adamson, Sidney Truman, Taylor Peterson

Primary Sidebar

Support Ankeny Fanatic

Recent Posts

  • ONE OF A KIND: Smith becomes city of Ankeny’s first-ever state tennis champion
  • ‘We just can’t take anything for granted’: Jaguars rout Roosevelt, advance to state
  • Smith tops Holland, will play Clinton’s Haan for Class 2A singles championship
  • ‘We just needed a little luck’: Hawkettes earn another trip to state on Macke’s goal
  • Wahlberg’s golden goal sends Hawks back to state tourney in dramatic fashion

Find Us on Facebook

Ankeny Fanatic

Archives

  • May 2025
  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017

Categories

  • Hawks
    • Fall
      • Boys’ Cross Country
      • Boys’ Golf
      • Football
      • Girls’ Cross Country
      • Girls’ Swimming
      • Volleyball
    • Spring
      • Boys’ Soccer
      • Boys’ Tennis
      • Boys’ Track
      • Girls’ Golf
      • Girls’ Soccer
      • Girls’ Tennis
      • Girls’ Track
    • Summer
      • Baseball
      • Softball
        • Roster
    • Winter
      • Boys’ Basketball
      • Boys’ Bowling
      • Boys’ Swimming
      • Girls’ Basketball
      • Girls’ Bowling
      • Boys’ Wrestling
  • Jaguars
    • Fall
      • Boys’ Cross Country
      • Boys’ Golf
      • Football
      • Girls’ Cross Country
      • Girls’ Swimming
      • Volleyball
    • Spring
      • Boys’ Soccer
      • Boys’ Tennis
      • Boys’ Track
      • Girls’ Golf
      • Girls’ Soccer
      • Girls’ Tennis
      • Girls’ Track
    • Summer
      • Baseball
      • Softball
    • Winter
      • Boys’ Basketball
      • Girls’ Basketball
      • Wrestling
  • Top Sports Stories
    • Football
    • Volleyball
  • Baseball
  • Softball

© 2025 Ankeny Fanatic. All rights reserved.