A pair of first-half goals by Jace Ward proved to be enough for the Ankeny boys’ soccer team on Tuesday.
Ward found the net twice to give his team a 2-0 lead at halftime, and the top-ranked Hawks held on for a 2-1 victory over visiting Des Moines Hoover in a non-conference game.
“Getting through our last regular-season game with a result like that against a strong-willed, hard working, and resilient Hoover side shows the experience and maturity that our side has,” said Ankeny coach Marcus Varnum.
Ward scored his first goal in the 4th minute on a breakaway attempt. He later scored again in the 33rd minute with a blast off his left foot.Ward now has six goals on the season, which ranks second on the team behind Lucas Newhard, who is tied for fourth in the state with 32 goals. Michael Vacek and Gannon Ripley each had an assist for the Hawks.
Hoover answered with a goal in the second half, but the Huskies were unable to get the equalizer. They dropped to 15-4 overall.
It was a successful Senior Night for Ankeny. The Hawks will take a 17-1 record into the postseason.
“We were very glad to celebrate our seniors for their four years of growth, sweat, and dedication to this program,” Varnum said. “Without them, we wouldn’t be able to have this moment of success that we are celebrating tonight.”
Ankeny will host Sioux City North or Sioux City West in a Class 3A substate semifinal on Monday at 6:30 p.m.
“We want to carry on with this momentum into the first step of postseason play,” Varnum said. “We are now entering into the real heart of the season, and to be able to move on from a game like that with a result like that is huge.”