A week off to prepare for postseason play might be just what the Ankeny boys’ soccer team needs.
Unfortunately, the seventh-ranked Hawks still have one game left to close out the regular season.
Ankeny dropped a 3-0 decision on Friday to visiting Valley, one of the state’s hottest teams. The No. 5 Tigers extended their winning streak to 13 games.
The Hawks played without five starters.
“I’m proud of the boys for stepping up and competing,” said Ankeny coach Trevor Fuccio, whose team will host Urbandale (6-8) on Tuesday at Northview. “Guys got their first significant varsity minutes and played well. The boys are ready to get healthy and battle to make state.”
Valley held a 1-0 lead at halftime, then added two more goals in the second half. Theo Jackson had a goal and two assists for the Tigers, while Preston Kipnusu added a goal and an assist.
Kipnusu leads Class 4A and ranks fourth in the entire state with 30 goals. He has racked up more goals than many teams, including Ankeny, which has scored 22 this season.
Goalkeeper Alexander Poitan had five saves for Valley, which finished 6-2 in the CIML Conference and improved to 15-3 overall. The Hawks’ records dropped to 3-4 and 9-7.
Top-seeded Ankeny will host fourth-seeded Cedar Rapids Jefferson (5-11) or fifth-seeded Cedar Rapids Kennedy (2-10) in a Class 4A substate semifinal on May 20.
“I can’t thank the seniors enough,” Fuccio said. “They’ve given a ton to this program, and they have been through the highs and lows over the last few years. They are the reason we are in the position of hosting substate that we are in this year.”
