On some nights, the Ankeny Centennial boys’ soccer team just finds a way to win.
Tuesday was one of those games as the third-ranked Jaguars got a pair of goals from Will Overberg and posted a 2-1 victory at Des Moines Hoover in a non-conference contest.
The win improved Centennial’s record to 6-0. The Huskies dropped to 2-3.
“A win is a win,” said Centennial coach Brian Duax. “We have to learn to take teams out when we have the chance. Letting teams hang around is making games closer than they should be.”
Overberg gave the Jaguars an early 1-0 lead when he converted a penalty kick only 3 minutes into the game. It was the lone goal in the first half.
“It was a hard game to prepare for,” Duax said. “It’s a very small field with long grass, and Hoover was a tough opponent who wanted the game really bad.”
The Huskies then tied the score with a goal midway through the second half. It was only the second goal allowed by Centennial in its last four games.
“We gave up a goal against the run of play,” Duax said.
The game remained tied until Overberg scored the go-ahead goal with about 5 minutes left. He now has 16 points on the season on six goals and four assists, leading the team in all three categories.
Cole Vincent had an assist for the Jaguars. Goalkeeper Cole Pankey was credited with three saves.
“We had to adjust our style of play because of the conditions and the field size,” Duax said.