Junior midfielder Austin Lundberg helped the Ankeny boys’ soccer team to a 1-0 victory over Ankeny Centennial on Friday at Ankeny Stadium. The Hawks raised their record to 9-6 on the season.
Lundberg ranks second on the team in scoring with six goals. He had two goals and three assists as a sophomore, when he earned all-conference honorable mention while playing for Centennial.
Here is some inside info on Lundberg:
Congratulations on the win over the Jaguars. Did you do anything special to celebrate afterwards?
I went out with some friends after the game to celebrate. I also watched the game when I got home.
You transferred to Ankeny Christian Academy after last season and thus are now playing for the Hawks as part of the program’s sharing agreement. Has it been a smooth transition for you?
Yes, the transition to Ankeny for soccer has been really smooth. The guys on the team have been really nice, and I have been able to connect well with a lot of them. I have also been able to find my role on the team, and the coaching staff has been quality as well.
Did you enjoy playing against your former teammates, or was it a little stressful?
I enjoyed playing against former teammates. It was nice to see them up close in action again. It was a good challenge for me to stay locked in mentally and emotionally, but overall, it was a good environment for competition.
Your teammate, Landon Benge, scored the game’s only goal early in the second half–his 11th of the season. Are you glad to have a prolific scorer like Landon on your side now?
I am really glad to have Landon on the team. He is very reliable–we can count on him when we need goals. He comes through for us as a team. He had a really good performance.
Were you confident that your defense could make that goal stand up for the win?
I was confident that our defense could hold up. In the last 10 minutes, we sat deeper with more guys back to protect the goal. The results speak for themselves as to how our defense held up.
You were among a few Ankeny players who left the game at some point due to cramps, and I know you were looking for some pickle juice on the sideline. Did you ever find any?
I did not find any pickle juice. I normally drink some before the game, but I forgot. I wasn’t expecting to cramp as I thought I was well hydrated throughout the day. It was a little disappointing to leave the game for a bit since I just wanted to play, but I was able to come back in for the last 5 minutes.
Coach Trevor Fuccio was forced to go deeper into his bench, and junior Kingston Ukpabi played a key shift late in the game. What did you think of his performance?
We used Kingston for defense. He came in and stepped up into his role. He played some quality minutes and made a few key defensive stops at the end.
The Class 4A substate pairings will be announced on Monday. Do you think your team, which was ranked as high as third earlier in the season, could still be in the mix for a No. 1 seed?
I am not sure where we stand for rankings. I think that there is a chance, but it is not likely based on our performance (in a loss to Pleasant Valley on April 27). Ultimately, all we can do now is wait and see.
What will be the keys for this team to make a deep postseason run?
Having the energy and the passion to want to win each game, and wanting to win for each other. It comes down to playing as a team and not being selfish. I think if we play to our potential, we have a good chance to make it to state.
Would you like to play soccer in college?
Yes, I am planning on playing soccer at Faith Baptist Bible College here in Ankeny. My brother (Parker) plays there right now, and I am excited to play with him again.
What are you planning to study?
I am planning on majoring in Organizational Leadership.