Junior Ben Ridlen scored his first goal of the season to give the 10th-ranked Ankeny Centennial boys’ soccer team a 1-0 victory at No. 9 Des Moines Lincoln in a non-conference game on Thursday.
Ridlen found the net in the second half off an assist by Tate Duax, who leads the Jaguars with six assists.
“It was a hard-fought, gritty game,” said Centennial coach Brian Duax. “It was a game that is deserving of the state tournament, or at least some meaning besides seeding and pride.”
Freshman goalkeeper Will Kreuger made two saves as Centennial recorded its second straight shutout and its sixth of the season. The Jaguars raised their record to 11-5, while Lincoln dropped to 10-4-1.
“I think the boys may have been overconfident,” Duax said. “Lincoln dominated us in the first half and made us chase the game. We made some adjustments at the half, then we were much better and dominated the game in the second half.”
Centennial will close out the regular season on Friday by hosting a CIML Conference game against Southeast Polk at Ankeny Stadium. The Rams are 1-4-2 in the league and 5-7-4 overall.