The Ankeny girls’ soccer players aren’t satisfied with a share of the CIML Conference championship.
The Hawkettes want to capture the outright crown.
That’s why there wasn’t much of a celebration on Tuesday after third-ranked Ankeny posted a 2-0 victory at No. 12 Urbandale to clinch at least a tie for the title. The Hawkettes may need to win at No. 2 Valley on Friday to secure the outright crown.
“I would say it’s a pretty important game,” Ankeny senior Emma Gott said of Friday’s matchup. “In my freshman year we lost to them in the championship, so every time we play them it’s a super exciting game because we want to get that back. We want to keep winning. And obviously going into the postseason, it’s going to be an important game. Hopefully, we can compete together.”
Valley dropped a 1-0 decision to No. 4 Waukee in overtime on Tuesday, eliminating the Tigers from title contention. But No. 1 Waukee Northwest could still tie for the crown with a win at No. 6 Ankeny Centennial on Friday–if Valley defeats Ankeny at the same time.
“I think it’s definitely important considering Valley’s ranked ahead of us,” said Ankeny junior Sophie Loeffler. “I just remember the feeling last year when we won, and Valley’s a big game especially going into state. It’ll just feel great to have that win behind our backs.”
Loeffler and Gott each scored a goal in Tuesday’s game as Ankeny improved to 7-0 in the conference and 11-3 overall. It was the sixth loss in the last seven games for the J-Hawks, whose records dropped to 1-6 and 5-8.
The start of the contest was delayed about 40 minutes due to rain and lightning. When play began, Ankeny had trouble connecting passes and maintaining possession.
“It was ugly. The weather was blistering with the wind and the rain, and then there was nothing,” said Ankeny coach Simon Brown. “We would make an adjustment because of the weather, and then it would change again. It was a bit all over the place. But Urbandale is a good team, and it was maybe a little naive of us to think that we could just come out here and battle them.”
Ankeny took a 1-0 lead in the 34th minute when Loeffler found the net off a corner kick by Sophia Kephart. The Hawkettes had several touches in the box before Loeffler hammered it in for her first goal of the season.
“The goalie kind of let it go,” said Loeffler, a defender. “I’ve been fighting all year to get up there on the corners. It just feels good to hit it in when it comes to me.”
Gott missed a couple of shots in the second half that could have extended the lead, including one that hit the crossbar. Then, with about 8 minutes left to play, she headed in a corner kick by Kephart for her 10th goal of the year.
“We are so lucky to have our little (freshman) Soph,” Gott said. “It definitely felt good (to score). I was kind of relieved. Everything that I had on my shoulders kind of fell off with that one finish.”
Ankeny went on to post its third straight shutout and its eighth of the season–even if the game wasn’t pretty at times. The Hawkettes were coming off a 4-0 win on Monday over North Polk, the No. 2 team in Class 2A.
“I thought we’d come out a little harder, but credit to the girls,” Brown said. “It’s hard to play two games in a row and stay focused and play at a high level. This is a tough little stretch.”
Like many teams, Ankeny is battling some bumps and bruises as the season winds down. Loeffler again played with a wrap on her right leg.
“I tore some muscles in my adductor, and I’ve possibly got a strained hip flexor,” said Loeffler, who still plans to run in a state qualifying track meet on Thursday. “I’m just going to PT and trying to figure that out.”
Ankeny will learn its postseason assignment on Thursday. The Hawkettes will be the No. 1 seed in their region, but Brown is hoping to avoid opponents from the CIML on the road to state.
“I told the Urbandale coach that I don’t want to have to play them again in regionals,” he said. “This conference is so tough. Everyone’s good.”
That’s what makes Ankeny’s unbeaten run through the league so impressive. The Hawkettes will try to close out a perfect conference season on Friday against Valley, which is 4-2 in the league and 12-2 overall.
“We have the opportunity to go 8-0 in the best conference in high school soccer,” Brown said. “That would be an amazing accomplishment.”
Loeffler is proud of what her team has already achieved.
“It definitely feels good with having such a tough conference,” she said. “I think we tied for the conference my freshman year, but this one feels so much better. It means more.”
