Most girls’ soccer teams would have a hard time replacing an all-stater like Elizabeth Overberg.
Not to mention four other all-conference players in Cecilia Burroughs, Macy Epp, Aly Jumper and Meghan White.
But Ankeny Centennial still returns a wealth of talent from last year’s team that posted an 18-3 record and handed eventual Class 3A state champion Valley its only loss.
“Initially, I think we will have some question marks on defense with the graduations of Aly, Ceci and Macy, but I believe in the girls and the staff to get those sorted out early,” said Centennial coach Chris Allen. “As we get into more training sessions, our focus will start with the defensive third, and we will build from there.”
Senior defender Courtney Kovacs and junior midfielder Alanna Pennington are the team’s top returnees. Kovacs was named to the all-tournament team after the Jaguars lost to Valley, 2-1, in the Class 3A semifinals.
Kovacs played a key role for a defensive unit that posted 11 consecutive shutouts during one stretch of the 2021 season. She also scored a goal and had two assists.
Kovacs, a Minnesota State-Mankato recruit, was a first-team all-state pick by the Iowa Girls’ Coaches Association and the Iowa High School Soccer Coaches Association. She was a unanimous pick to the CIML Iowa Conference first team.
Pennington scored nine goals and had three assists. She accounted for the Jaguars’ only goal in the loss to Valley.
Pennington joined Kovacs on the all-conference first team. That duo helped Centennial to the league title.
Among the team’s other returning starters are senior midfielder Ella Becker, senior fullback Elle Street and junior winger Averi Porter. That trio earned second-team all-conference honors a year ago.
Porter racked up 13 goals and three assists as a sophomore, while Street had three goals and two assists. Becker added two assists.
Junior winger Cady Compton is the team’s other returning starter. She had eight goals and seven assists last year, when she earned all-conference honorable mention.
“At this point, we offered optional sessions over spring break, encouraged kids to work out on their own with some guidance, and have had a day of tryouts, so it’s tough to determine the effect of any practice sessions,” Allen said. “However, the tryout was highly competitive with over 40 girls showing an interest in essentially 22 varsity roster spots. Because the coaching staff has to make decisions after nearly a week off at the beginning of the season, we expect there to be some mobility between our varsity and JV1 programs.”
Among the other key returnees for the Jaguars are senior Izzy Sash and sophomores McKenna Hilton, Gabby Lawrence and Avery Lewis. Sash had six goals and five assists a year ago, Lewis chipped in four goals, Hilton had two goals and six assists, and Lawrence added two goals and two assists.
Defenders Brooke Compton, Ella Hudachek and Sari White are also back along with goalkeepers Kate Bergan and Teagan Hall. Bergan recorded six saves in limited action last season, while Hall had four.
“I think enthusiasm and leadership are the strengths of our team,” Allen said. “We have players with a variety of experiences from last year’s squad, stepping into and showing an interest in leadership roles. Teagan has really dedicated herself to providing leadership and has a clear vision for the leader she intends to be. Her teammates recognized this, and she was voted to be a captain in the offseason.”
The Jaguars will open their season on March 29 by hosting an Iowa Conference game against Marshalltown. They will host Council Bluffs Lincoln on April 1 and Waukee on April 2 as part of the Crosstown Invitational.
Allen said he thinks his team will still be a dangerous side, even after losing the offensive production of Overberg and White–who combined for 33 goals and 17 assists a year ago.
“Tactically, I think we will be able to present numerous attacking problems for our opponents,” he said. “Whether it be through forwards who can play like posts, speedy wingers, or attacking midfielders with the strength to strike centrally from distance and the speed to break lines.”