The cold and windy conditions didn’t seem to bother the Ankeny girls’ soccer team.
The fifth-ranked Hawkettes opened their season on Thursday with a 3-1 victory over visiting Cedar Falls in a non-conference game. The Tigers are 11th in the Class 3A preseason rankings from the Iowa Girls’ High School Athletic Union.
“Overall, I was happy with our performance. Most of all, I was happy with the way we battled,” said first-year Ankeny coach Gavin Mason. “We knew coming in that Cedar Falls was going to play with a high-level intensity and physicality. I thought our girls did a really great job of competing and embraced the fight. We walked away with some bumps and bruises, but can definitely be proud of the performance.”
Abby Steinkamp scored Ankeny’s first goal in the opening minutes of the game. She later limped off the field after taking a hard fall, but eventually returned to action.
“We started well, and Abby paid off the pressure we put on them in the first few minutes with a nice composed finish,” Mason said.
Cedar Falls tied the game on a free kick from just outside the box in the 26th minute. Freshman Izabela Begic found the net for the equalizer.
Less than 2 minutes later, Ava Paoli scored a goal to put the Hawkettes ahead.
“After watching film from last year, we knew what we needed to do, so one of our main focuses was getting our shots in the air and placing them high where it’s harder for her to reach,” Paoli said of standout Cedar Falls goalkeeper Alexis Montgomery. “We also really emphasized creating space, moving the ball quickly, and taking quality shots instead of rushing knowing we might have more time. Overall, it was about staying composed, trusting our preparation, and being confident when we got our chances.”
Paoli, a senior, then added another goal to complete the scoring with about a minute left in the first half.
“I thought Ava was really dangerous all game long and had two fantastic goals,” Mason said. “Abby was really good with her hold up play. Avery (Taylor) was constantly a threat down the outside. Isabel Squires played several different positions and was pivotal in most of what we did.”
Mason was also happy with his team’s defensive effort.
“We didn’t give them a whole lot, and I thought our back line did a pretty good job of staying engaged, especially in the second half,” he said.
Paoli is excited about the team’s potential.
“I think this first game was really important for getting the jitters out and settling into our rhythm,” she said. “It definitely showed parts of what we’re capable of as a team, especially with it being a new group and still figuring out the little details and how we play together. We know we still have a lot to improve on, but now we have a better idea of what we need to focus on this next week and moving forward, and we’re excited to keep building from here.”
The Hawkettes will play at No. 2 Valley in their CIML Conference opener on Tuesday.
“There are definitely some things we want to clean up,” Mason said. “I think our spacing in the midfield wasn’t quite there, and we didn’t always possess the ball as well as we wanted to because we were a bit too direct. But those are the kinds of things you expect in your first match, and it’s good to identify and have some things to focus on as we move forward. Overall, I was pleased with the result for the girls, and I’m excited to get back to work (Friday).”
