The seniors on the Ankeny Centennial girls’ soccer team will get at least one more opportunity to play at Cownie Park.
The eighth-ranked Jaguars advanced to next week’s state tournament by defeating No. 11 Southeast Polk, 2-1, in a Class 3A regional final on Thursday at Centennial.
“I was just talking to Gabby (Lawrence), McKenna (Hilton) and Avery (Lewis),” said Centennial coach Chris Allen. “They’ve been with the program for four years since they were freshmen, and this is their fourth trip (to state). I’m glad they get another shot at it. They’ve had good careers, and they’re not ready to be done. They’ll keep working.”
Ava Martin and Maddison Balashaitis each scored a goal as the Jaguars (13-6) defeated their CIML Conference rival for the second time this season. The Rams (11-7) also dropped a 2-1 decision at Centennial on May 7.
“It was tough (the first game)–the same as it was tonight,” said Martin. “But we came through both times, so it feels really good.”
Hilton and Lewis each had an assist for Centennial, which built a 2-0 halftime lead before holding on for the win.
“You can’t underestimate any team,” said Lewis. “You just have to go in playing your best game, and I feel like we did that.”
The Jaguars took the lead for good when Hilton crossed the ball to Martin, who found the net at the 18:23 mark. It was her team-leading 13th goal of the season.
“It was so good,” Martin said of Hilton’s assist. “We’ve been working on that. Taking the end line and slotting it back. She just had a perfect pass to me.”
Centennial scored what proved to be the game-winner in the 33rd minute off a corner kick by Lewis, who earned her fifth assist.
“It just kind of fell in the right spot,” Lewis said.
Balashaitis, a defender, soared into the air and headed the ball into the net.
“It was beautiful–perfectly placed,” said Balashaitis. “That felt pretty good. I don’t normally score very much. It’s definitely a different feeling. But stopping people from scoring is important, too.”
Centennial goalkeeper Rylee Litchfield made four saves, but the Jaguars lost their bid for a shutout midway through the second half. A foul in the box led to a penalty kick for Southeast Polk, and Brooke Seeliger converted for the Rams in the 61st minute.
“I think we lost our composure, and I think I could say the same thing for myself on the sideline a little bit,” said Allen, who received a yellow card with just under 9 minutes left to play. “When we move the ball around like we can, it’s hard to stay on the field with us. But when we get into the back and forth with teams, then the opportunities happen. I think that’s what led to their goal–just a momentary lapse by us in how we wanted to play and gave them a chance to get a PK.”
While Southeast Polk picked up two yellow cards in the final 5 minutes, the Jaguars remained calm and punched their ticket to the state tournament.
“I think we definitely felt the pressure at the end, but we maintained the composure and did what we had to do to come out with the win,” Lewis said.
Allen praised the Rams as his players celebrated on the field and posed for photos with the state qualifier banner.
“Shoutout to Southeast Polk,” he said. “They’ve had an amazing season and turned a lot of heads. They gave us two phenomenal games, so my hat’s off to them.”
Centennial will now prepare to play another conference rival. The Jaguars will face No. 1 Waukee Northwest (15-2) in the Class 3A quarterfinals on Tuesday at 3 p.m. on Field 9 at Cownie Park.
“I feel really confident with our chances,” Martin said.
Northwest advanced to state with a 10-0 victory over Mason City on Thursday. The Wolves got a hat trick from Elaina Witte.
Northwest’s only loss to an Iowa opponent came on April 23, when it dropped a 2-0 decision to No. 3 Ankeny. The Wolves posted a 4-2 triumph at Centennial on May 10 behind a hat trick from freshman Ayrissa Robinson.
“I think this team can play with anybody,” Allen said. “We start three freshmen and three sophomores, and we’ve had probably the toughest schedule in the state. We’ve proven that we can play with anybody.”
Centennial is seeking its second title in three years. The Jaguars posted a 2-1 victory over Northwest in the quarterfinals in 2022, when they knocked off three higher-ranked opponents to capture the crown.
“We’ve done it before,” Lewis said. “We’ll do it again.”
The winner of Tuesday’s game will play No. 4 Linn-Mar (Marion) (16-3) or No. 5 Valley (15-3) in Thursday’s semifinals at 3 p.m. The championship game is slated for Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
“Being a lower seed is better in certain aspects,” Balashaitis said. “We’re the underdog, and we have nothing to lose. And I think that’s what our team motto has been this year.”
