Making up for lost time is one of the goals for the Ankeny Centennial girls’ soccer team.
The Jaguars reached the semifinals of the Class 3A state tournament in 2019 before the 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We want to be playing soccer on absolutely every date possible,” said Centennial coach Chris Allen. “We want to pass on the legacy of the previous Jags to those two new groups coming in. We want to play in a way that honors our seniors who didn’t get to play last year—we want them to be proud of how we represent the program on the field.”
The Jaguars posted a 16-4 record two years ago. Their season ended with a 2-1 loss to Waukee in a shootout, preventing an all-Ankeny clash in the Class 3A title game.
Several key players from that squad are still on the roster. Seniors Ceci Burroughs, Macy Epp, Aly Jumper, Elizabeth Overberg and Meghan White are all back along with juniors Teagan Hall and Courtney Kovacs.
“We often rotate starters to deal with the grind of the season, and all of those girls started at some point during the 2019 season,” Allen said.
Overberg, a midfielder, had six goals and five assists as a sophomore. She was a first-team all-district pick and was named to the all-state second team by the Iowa Girls’ Coaches Association.
Overberg is one of five Jaguars who have already committed to play at the collegiate level. She is headed to Minnesota.
“Leadership, as always, will prove to be key, and our seniors have made efforts to develop their leadership as well as distribute it,” Allen said. “We often talk about the idea that anyone on a team can be a leader; it’s not just the player with the captain’s armband. But speaking of captains, I think Elizabeth has done a great job in that role by being connected and in elevating the play of those around her. I have seen similar leadership in Aly Jumper as she works with our other goalkeepers. The list could go on–it’s pervasive.”
Jumper, a Winona State recruit, allowed seven goals while making 47 saves in 2019. She will again be backed up by Hall.
White, a forward, is the team’s top returning scorer. The University of Missouri-Kansas City recruit had 10 goals and five assists as a sophomore.
Epp and Kovacs are among the returnees in the midfield. Epp, a Minnesota State recruit, had seven goals and five assists in 2019.
Burroughs, a defender, contributed one assist. She will play for Augustana (S.D.).
“At this point, we have only had tryouts and a strength training session,” Allen said. “Despite the weather, practices have been a blast. Players are clearly eager to compete and full of energy. It was difficult narrowing in on a varsity roster.”
Senior Macie Langstraat, who had one goal and one assist two years ago, is also back for the Jaguars. She has committed to run track and cross country for Southwest Minnesota State.
The speed of Langstraat and many of her teammates will be one of Centennial’s strengths.
“Based on what I have seen in tryouts, we might have more speed around the field than I have previously experienced on the teams I have coached,” Allen said. “If we can couple that speed with our characteristic stingy defense and ability to move the ball quickly, we have the opportunity to be quite formidable.”
Allen has also been impressed by the team chemistry.
“I think each player’s commitment to one another and to the team in general will be one of our greatest assets,” he said. “The conditions have been miserable for training, and we threw in some early mornings, yet the energy has been outstanding. Some of this is due to missing an entire season, but a lot of it is the leadership our seniors provide. They are genuinely excited to be around one another.”
The Jaguars will host Johnston in their season opener on April 1. It will mark the return of Centennial assistant coach Peter Rameh, who previously served as the Ankeny boys’ head coach from 1993-2001.
“I look forward to our coaching staff’s ability to support the individual needs of our players,” Allen said. “Peter, who last coached with us in 2016, has returned. Nick White, who has been with the Jags since the beginning of the program, is back as a volunteer. Maggie (Riley) Lindaman knows what it takes to be a successful collegiate athlete, and she returns as a volunteer. And Danielle Jackson, who has so many insights into players, returns in her volunteer role.”
For the most part, a sense of normalcy has returned to the Centennial program after the unexpected challenges of 2020. Some things, though, are still different.
“It’s tough not giving high-fives or handshakes; this is a social sport and many of our players are here because they enjoy being a part of something that is greater than the individual,” Allen said. “However, we want to be as safe as we possibly can be while getting to play the game and getting to be together. It’s tough to shout instructions in a mask or to know how players are responding by reading the emotions on their faces.
“So I guess I can’t say that I feel things are back to normal, and I don’t know that I would want to because I feel that would be allowing myself to be dismissive of the pandemic,” he added.