Junior goalkeeper Kate Bergan played a key role as the Ankeny Centennial girls’ soccer team captured its third Class 3A state title on Saturday at Cownie Park. She was named to the all-tournament team after the Jaguars defeated Council Bluffs Lincoln, 2-0, in the championship game.
On Thursday, Bergan made four consecutive saves during the penalty-kick shootout as Centennial knocked off top-ranked Valley, 2-1, in the semifinals. The loss ended a 37-game winning streak for the defending state champion Tigers.
Bergan, who helped the Jaguars to a 19-3 record, has been selected to the CIML Iowa Conference first team.
Here is some inside info on Bergan:
Congratulations on winning the state title. What did you do afterwards to celebrate?
Thank you! To celebrate, we did lots of dancing on the bus and we all hung out together later that night!
Before the tournament started, did you even realize that your team might have a chance to avenge all three of its losses against Waukee Northwest, Valley and Council Bluffs Lincoln to win the crown?
I would have never thought that we would get to avenge all of our losses. It is such a rare but amazing experience. All the teams we played were very skilled, and it was very fun to be able to get those wins back as a team.
Did you like having an off day between games this year under the new format for the state tournament, and do you think that helped raise the level of play?
Yes, it was very nice to have a day off in between. The recovery time really helped us get back to our best health so we could be as prepared as possible for each game.
This was a cool photo here of you making a save during the Valley shootout that our photographer, Drue Wolfe, was able to capture. What was your reaction when you saw that photo?
First off, a big thanks to Drue and his talent. It was super cool to see the photo and be able to relive the moment. It brought that exciting feeling of winning back.
After the thrilling win over Valley, coach Chris Allen told me that he would let the players have a moment to celebrate but that it was important to get started on preparing for Council Bluffs Lincoln. Was it hard to come down from that win?
I knew after the Valley win I kind of had to put it in the past and focus on the game in front, and just do whatever it took for my team. I’m just really happy that we could all do it together.
I’ve heard that your assistant coach, Peter Rameh, is retiring from teaching. Were you pretty determined to send him off with a state championship?
We were very determined to send him off with another state title. Rameh is one of the best coaches I have ever had, and he played such a big role in the team’s success. We will all miss him very very much.
How much credit do you give to Peter for your development as a keeper, and how has he helped you the most?
Rameh has had a huge role in the continuation of my development not only as a player but also as a person. He shows up to practice every day with the biggest smile on his face and greets us all with a “Hello Sunshines”. Rameh has also helped me feel confident and composed on the soccer field, and I know he will always have my back. I give a huge thanks to Rameh and everything he has done for the team and me.
Your team will have to replace five seniors, including Courtney Kovacs, who was named the captain of the all-tournament team. How difficult will it be to replace that group?
The five seniors that we are losing are all very, very talented, and I will miss them all a lot. They all played very important and different roles on the team, and we will never have players that are exactly the same as them. With this being said, I have so much confidence in the underclassmen coming up. The freshmen and sophomores are all very talented, specifically Maddison Balashaitis–who is one of the most composed and hardest working center backs I have ever played with. I know she will be able to continue to play hard and carry on a similar legacy as our captain Courtney. Ava Martin was also one of our top goal scorers this year and played a very critical role on the team.
Your team will return the bulk of its starting lineup. Have you and your teammates already talked about trying to win back-to-back titles next year?
We have not talked a ton about next season, but winning back-to-back titles would be absolutely amazing. I know with all of the hard working and talented players that we have who are all so invested in our team values that it is definitely a possibility for us to achieve this goal.
Are you planning to play in college? Have you looked at any schools yet?
I have not decided if I want to play in college for sure yet. For me personally, my academics come before soccer so I want to find a school that meets those requirements first and if soccer is a bonus at that school then that would be awesome. I am very interested in schools similar to Carnegie Mellon, Washington University in Saint Louis, and Case Western Reserve University.
What are you going to study?
I would like to study engineering and potentially focus on biomedical or genetic engineering.