Senior forward Rachael Christmann helped the Ankeny girls’ soccer team to a 14-5 record and a second-place finish in the Class 3A state tournament. She led the Hawkettes with 16 goals, 11 assists and 43 points.
Junior defender Courtney Kovacs helped Ankeny Centennial to an 18-3 mark and a trip to the Class 3A semifinals. She had one goal and two assists while playing a key role for a defensive unit that posted 14 shutouts.
Both Christmann and Kovacs were named to the Class 3A all-tournament team on Friday at Cownie Soccer Park. They also earned first-team all-state honors from the Iowa Girls’ Coaches Association.
Here is some inside info on the duo:
Rachael, you wore No. 13 for the Hawkettes. Isn’t that supposed to be an unlucky number?
Christmann: I started wearing No. 13 when I was nine years old because I knew that it was an unlucky number and it was the number of my favorite players at the time, Alex Morgan and Thomas Müller. Since then, I’ve made the No. 13 my “lucky” number as a way to signify that I don’t need luck in order to achieve my goals, which is why I continued to wear the No. 13 throughout my Hawkette soccer career.
Courtney, you wear No. 7 for the Jaguars. Isn’t that supposed to be a lucky number?
Kovacs: I’ve never really thought of it as a lucky number. I picked it out a while ago for club soccer and have just stuck with it throughout my soccer career.
After missing all of last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, do you think you appreciated being able to play this season more than ever?
Christmann: Definitely. On our first day of practice, we had early morning fitness and technical testing and I was super excited my entire drive to the high school because it had been almost two years since the previous high school season. I wasn’t sure what this season would look like due to COVID-19 restrictions, but I’m extremely grateful that we were able to have a safe and successful season!
Kovacs: After missing out on our season last year, that definitely caused me to be much more appreciative of our season this year knowing that it can be taken away unexpectedly. I would say it also gave me more motivation to not only play for our current seniors but to play for last year’s seniors as well.
Rachael, is it hard to believe that you’ve played your final game for the Hawkettes?
Christmann: Yes, I don’t think it’s going to hit me until this next week or even like next season.
Courtney, your team had a tough loss in the semifinals on Wednesday to eventual champion Valley. Have you gotten over it yet?
Kovacs: The loss was upsetting, but ultimately I am proud of our season and what we accomplished. One game doesn’t define my feelings about our season, so I will cherish the positive memories. Hopefully, that loss can fuel us for future seasons.
What was your reaction when you found out that you had been named to the all-tournament team?
Christmann: I was surprised since there were a lot of talented girls in the tournament this year, but I knew it was a possibility since (assistant coach) Sarah (Lynn) had told me before the (championship) game that she thought that I would make the team.
Kovacs: I was surprised at first just thinking about all of the other talented players we have on our team and how well everyone played. I was also very appreciative and excited to get this recognition.
Rachael, you scored the winning goal against Pleasant Valley in Tuesday’s quarterfinals on a penalty kick in the final minute. Is that the best moment you’ve ever had on a soccer field?
Christmann: I’m not sure if I have a singular favorite moment on the soccer field, but the goals against Pleasant Valley and Waukee definitely made my list of favorite moments.
Courtney, what was the highlight of your season?
Kovacs: The highlight for me is the overall bonds I got to form with everyone on the team, especially after missing out on that from last year.
You both had to play all of your games at the state tournament in hot and humid conditions. How much of a factor was fatigue by the end of your last game?
Christmann: Playing three games in four days is never an easy task and the weather conditions certainly contributed to some of the fatigue that we felt during each game, but we were able to combat most of it by doing lots of recovery before and after each game. By the last game, fatigue was a factor that we knew that we would have to deal with, but that is something that every team in the tournament is faced with. Personally, I didn’t feel my fatigue until after the championship match because I was so focused during the game.
Kovacs: I think fatigue was a large factor by the end of the game because we had already run many substitutions to get as many fresh legs as we could. By the end of the game, it felt like we were falling behind despite the fact that everyone was giving it their all. At the end of the day, those games were more about who could push through the heat and exhaustion to pull out the win. Our team left everything on the field by the end of the game.
Rachael, your team almost duplicated its amazing run to the state title in 2019. How is coach Simon Brown able to consistently get the most out of his teams?
Christmann: Simon never likes to take credit for the team’s successes, but there’s certainly something to be said when he’s 2-for-2 in reaching the championship match. He’s extremely defense-oriented which balances out well with Sarah’s experience with offensive strategies, and motivates us to work for each other and to build a legacy that will make past and future Hawkettes proud. Overall, I think our team responds really well to Simon and Sarah, which allows us to constantly improve our game.
Courtney, I know you were there to watch the championship game. Was it hard to watch two other teams play for the title?
Kovacs: It was very hard to watch, especially knowing that our team was capable of making it that far in the tournament.
Rachael, you are headed to Wartburg to play for the Knights next season. Do you think you’ll have a chance to play right away?
Christmann: Playing in college is a completely different atmosphere than high school soccer, but I hope that I will be able to adjust to the faster pace somewhat quickly so that I will be able to play in my first year.
Courtney, are you planning to play in college? Have you looked at any schools yet?
Kovacs: Yes, I plan on playing soccer in college and am currently looking at some schools around the Midwest.
What are you going to study in college?
Christmann: I will be majoring in Actuarial Science with a possible minor in Business Administration.
Kovacs: Right now I plan on pursuing a science degree with future plans to move on to a physicians assistant program.