In a matchup between two quality sides, a questionable call can sometimes prove to be the difference.
That was the case on Wednesday at the boys’ state soccer tournament, where third-ranked Waukee Northwest scored the go-ahead goal on a penalty kick to beat No. 1 Ankeny, 2-1, in the Class 3A quarterfinals.
“I may be biased on that, but I don’t think that’s a PK,” said Ankeny coach Marcus Varnum. “The matchup like that was going on the entire time, and that call was made probably 50 percent of the time on different areas of the field. For them to make that call in that influential part of the field was kind of crazy to me.”
The game was tied at 1-1 when the Hawks were called for a foul in the box in the 45th minute. Ankeny goalkeeper Kyle Pederson then made a great save on the ensuing kick, batting the ball away.
But Northwest’s Cooper Collins raced in and scored on the rebound.
“Kyle really stepped up and made a massive save,” Varnum said. “He was so close to making that follow up save, too.”
The Hawks desperately tried to score an equalizer as the final minutes ticked off the clock, but Northwest’s defense held firm. The Wolves (9-10) avenged a 2-1 overtime loss at Ankeny on May 10.
Northwest’s victory was part of a wild day at Cownie Park, where all four of the lower seeds prevailed in the Class 3A quarterfinals. The Wolves will play No. 5 Ankeny Centennial (16-3), the highest remaining seed, in Friday’s semifinals at 5 p.m.
“We fell short of our goals,” said Varnum, whose team finished the season at 19-2. “We had our goals very high, and that was because we thought–and we still think–that we’re one of the best eight, four, two, one teams in the state.”
Wednesday’s game featured the intensity of a state championship contest. The play was physical, and occasionally the emotions got the best of both teams–who were eventually warned by the referee to keep things in check.
Two of the top three squads in Class 3A collided in the quarterfinals because Northwest was dropped to the No. 8 seed after the Wolves forfeited a bunch of victories for using an ineligible player.
“There were a lot of distractions,” Varnum said. “We just tried to harness our energy to the things that we could control, and I can’t be disappointed with how the boys put their best efforts forward and their energy. It’s state soccer in Iowa. There’s a lot of things going on–the environment is crazy, the energy in the air is just buzzing, and it took us a little bit to get going.”
Northwest got off to a fast start with a couple of early chances. Pederson made a great save on a breakaway to keep the game scoreless, but the Wolves later capitalized on their second corner kick in the first 5 minutes.
The ball ended up in front of the goal, and Tyler Rayburn found the net to put Northwest ahead.
“They got a good ball in, and there was a lot going on,” Varnum said. “It was a bit of a cluster, and they got it in.”
Ankeny, meanwhile, had three corner kicks in the first 20 minutes but was unable to take advantage of those chances. The Hawks persevered, though, and eventually tied the game.
Lucas Newhard set up the tying goal with a run up the left side, drawing the attention of the Northwest defenders. He then crossed the ball to Hunter Yeatts in front of the net, and Yeatts easily beat goalkeeper Andrew Cork for his fifth goal of the season.
“Things were going our way, and we were getting touches on the ball,” Varnum said. “That was just a beautiful goal–the kind where we were hoping we could transition quickly and go at them. That pass by Lucas was a demonstration of an extra pass that needed to be made. It was a perfect dish, and we put it away.”
In the end, though, that one goal wasn’t enough. The Hawks’ dream of a state championship came to an end.
After the game, junior defender Kwaku Kwarteng accepted the participation trophy from an Iowa High School Athletic Association official.
“In a high intensity game, we were able to keep our heads and persevere,” Varnum said. “I thought our boys showed a lot of character, and I’m just extremely proud of them. It’s a tough pill to swallow for sure, but we have our pride to look at and a lot of reasons to hold our heads high.”
