Ankeny Centennial girls’ soccer players Maddison Balashaitis, Addison Fair, Olivia Kroska and Ava Martin have all experienced the joy of holding up a state championship trophy.
The four seniors all saw some action as freshmen on the Jaguars’ Class 3A title team in 2022.
“Experience and joy will be huge strengths for our team,” said Centennial coach Chris Allen. “Three of the seniors have been to three state tournaments, the juniors have been to two, and the rest have seen at least one. The challenges of last season showed us that we can play a high level of soccer, so I hope we don’t have to spend a lot of time establishing that confidence. These kids genuinely enjoy each other. They will compete, but they are going to have fun doing it. When a team clicks, that might be the critical element to it all.”
The Jaguars posted a 13-7 record last season. They advanced to state for the ninth time in the program’s 10-year history before falling to Waukee Northwest, 3-2, in a shootout in the Class 3A quarterfinals.
Thirteen players are back from that squad, including Kroska. The University of Denver recruit has been named team captain despite missing last season due to a knee injury.
“During the first week of the season, we offered optional training sessions for all players in our program,” Allen said. “We have around 80 kids out, and about 25 have been available for each spring break session. On Friday, Olivia returned to the sessions and it’s clear she is driven to be the best captain she can be. This demonstration of leadership is something we strive to develop throughout our program as we know it serves the players well in the future.”
Allen will also rely heavily on the leadership provided by returning all-staters Balashaitis and Martin. Martin was named to the Class 3A first team by the Iowa High School Soccer Coaches Association, while Balashaitis was a second-team pick.
Martin, a forward, racked up a team-high 14 goals and seven assists as a junior, when she recorded a pair of hat tricks. The Missouri Western recruit was selected to the CIML Conference second team and joined Balashaitis on the all-district squad.
Balashaitis, a defender, helped her team record six shutouts. She also had three goals and an assist.
Balashaitis scored on a header in the quarterfinal loss to Waukee Northwest and also converted one of the Jaguars’ penalty kicks. She was later named to the all-tournament team–the only player to be honored from a squad that did not advance to the semifinals.
Balashaitis was also selected to the all-conference first team and to the academic all-state first team. She will play for Concordia St. Paul.
Fair is also back along with fellow seniors Kerigan Miller and Mady Stribe. Fair scored three goals a year ago, while Stribe made six saves as the backup goalkeeper.
Among the other returnees are juniors Emmarie Becker, Evie Boyle, Emily Conger and Piper Zeman. Sophomores Kenna Gray, Rylee Litchfield and Mady Postma are also back.
Becker, a midfielder, scored three goals and had two assists. Boyle, a defender, contributed one goal and was named to the all-conference second team along with Becker.
Postma had two goals and four assists, Conger had a goal and an assist, and Gray added an assist. They each received all-conference honorable mention.
Litchfield, a goalkeeper, made 42 saves as a freshman while allowing just 19 goals.
“Each of the girls earned a start at some point during the season,” Allen said. “However, the thing for our program is that, though they are returners and though they have started, we expect them to compete for time on the field–that’s how you sharpen the saw.”
Like Kroska, Zeman is coming back from a knee injury. She is expected to be 100 percent by mid-April.
The Jaguars will open the season on March 31 with a non-conference game at Iowa City West.
“Our goals will certainly involve focusing on the process again,” Allen said. “Last season, we really showed we could keep the ball with only a few exceptions and that we could generate chances. We would love to be a team that values the ball again this season with even more consistency, and we truly believe we should be in a position to progress from the experiences of last year. We would like to take those chances and turn more of them into goals.
“If we can maintain composure on the ball, continue to get great leadership from our players, finish at a higher rate, and defend as an experienced unit, we believe we can be competing on the last day of the season,” he added.