Senior defender Sophie Loeffler has helped the Ankeny girls’ soccer team to a 7-2-2 record and a No. 5 ranking in Class 3A. The Hawkettes posted a 6-0 victory at No. 12 Dowling Catholic on Friday for their second straight shutout and their eighth clean sheet overall.
Loeffler scored one goal and had two assists while helping her squad post 11 clean sheets as a junior, when the Hawkettes earned a share of the CIML Conference title. She was named to the Class 3A all-state second team and was a unanimous pick to the CIML Conference first team.
Here is some inside info on Loeffler:
How is the season going thus far?
The season has gone pretty well! I think we’ve had our ups and downs for sure, but I think that our team has a really great mentality and all of us want to be the best we can be. At first it was hard to find our momentum just with all of the injures and position changes. We have a pretty young team, but all of our players are very talented and some of our younger players have taken great leadership roles, especially on the field. We have two amazing coaches that push us to be our best, and it makes us stronger overall.
You missed the first six games while you were still recovering from a knee injury that you suffered in the offseason. Can you describe your injury and how exactly you got hurt?
It was during my club season in the fall. I was playing a game in Omaha and during the second half, with about 20 minutes left, a teammate passed me a ball and I stepped off of my left leg to go get it and my knee just went out. I heard it pop so I kind of knew immediately that I had torn my ACL. (Alli) Macke, Ava (Paoli) and Cam (Dietz) are all on my club team, and we always argue whether Macke or Ava passed me the ball. I ended up going to get an X-ray that day in Omaha, and that doctor had told me that he was 90 percent sure I had torn my ACL, but wasn’t able to confirm. The coaches and trainers at Sporting Iowa, including (Ankeny assistant) Trevor (Neary), have a lot of connections and I was able to get in for an MRI on that Monday. I got my MRI results back on Wednesday; I tore my ACL and a little sliver of my meniscus and got surgery the following Monday.
How difficult was the injury to come back from, and was it more of a mental or physical challenge?
I’d say it was a mix of both. The hardest part mentally was having to sit out of doing things I love and not being able to be active and work out. It was also hard physically trying to build back my strength and conditioning. The biggest thing physically was regaining my quickness and agility. But overall, I’d say it was a harder mental battle.
Your team scored a season-high six goals on Friday. What did you think of your squad’s performance?
I thought we played great. Our forwards have been working really hard, and that definitely paid off on Friday. Our midfield is very strong–those three work really hard and adapt to each team we play. And our defense has been really strong all season, and I think our younger players have gotten more comfortable in their positions and it’s shown for sure. Going into the game we knew that it was really important that we showed up and proved that we were a top-five team, and we all battled really hard and proved that we belong in the top of the rankings.
I know coach Simon Brown has been slowly trying to increase the amount of minutes that you play. How many minutes did you play against the Maroons?
I believe that I played about 40-45 minutes, around 20 minutes each half.
Do you feel like your conditioning is close to where you want it to be, or do you still have a ways to go?
I think I’m definitely getting better every day. I’m obviously not as well conditioned as I was the past few years between my injury and not running track anymore, but I think that I am in a good spot even though there’s room to keep working.
Your team has three freshmen who are playing major roles this season. After being able to watch them play for several games, was it pretty easy for you to develop some chemistry with them when you returned to the lineup?
Yes, we all have great bonds off of the field as well, and all three of them are very good players and work really hard. They fit in great with the team and understand the game overall and do a great job asking either the coaches or us older players for advice when they need it.
Your team will host No. 1 Waukee Northwest on Tuesday after playing on Monday at North Polk, the No. 3 team in Class 2A. Do you think playing those back-to-back games against quality opponents will serve as good preparation for the state tournament, if you can get there?
This week is always loaded with games every year. I think Simon and Trev do that so we know what later in the season will look like. I think that this is great preparation for those games because we need to know what it’s like physically and mentally to play hard games back-to-back.
Northwest’s only loss came at Gretna East (Neb.), 5-1, on April 26. What will be the key to beating the Wolves?
Coming in with a super high intensity and playing our game. Simon and Trev talk a lot about our identity as a team, and I believe the last few games we’ve lived up to those expectations. If we do that, I think we have a good chance. They’re obviously a good team, but so are we and at this point in the season a lot can happen. We’ll go into the game with a good mindset and play each of our roles. Good communication, fighting for every ball, and having team composure will be the keys to getting a win.
Do you think your team is capable of making a state championship run, and what would that mean to you to finish your career with a title?
I definitely think that we have the talent and drive to make a championship run. I think we are getting better every day, and our whole team wants that more than anything. Trevor always says to us that we want to be the team playing on June 7. I think years past have shown us that absolutely anything can happen when you get to state, and I think we have the grit and drive to get it done. Winning a state championship has always been a dream, and we’ve always been so close. This team has some of my best friends on it, and winning it with all of them would just be the cherry on top. It’s also Simon’s last year, and I think it’d be cool if he could win his first year and last, and I just hope that we can be the team to do that.
I know you committed to play soccer at St. Cloud State in early 2024, but I understand your plans have changed. What went into your decision?
It wasn’t an easy decision to make at all. My family and I had a lot of conversations about it over the past few months, but ultimately I decided that it wasn’t going to be the path for me. I love the game a lot and will miss it, but after my injury I learned more about myself outside of being an athlete. My focus right now is 100 percent on this season and getting to be back on the field as long as I can. Since it’ll be my last season, I’m more determined than ever to make it a good one that me and my teammates can enjoy for a long time.