Ankeny Centennial’s Emmarie Becker found herself in the right place at the right time on Tuesday night.
Becker scored the go-ahead goal off a throw-in by Evie Boyle late in the second half to give the third-ranked Jaguars a 2-1 victory at Dowling Catholic in a CIML Conference girls’ soccer game.
“Evie had a great throw into the box, and Dowling didn’t have a full clearance,” said Becker. “I was around the top of the box and was able to take a touch and then a hit.”
The win allowed Centennial to remain unbeaten. The Jaguars are now 2-0 in the league and 4-0 overall, while Dowling’s marks fell to 1-1 and 2-4-1.
“The conference games are never easy, and it’s nice to head into the Ankeny Derby with a 2-0 conference record,” said Centennial coach Chris Allen. “Coach (Matthew) Sahag had Dowling set up to defend well and counter effectively. This strategy is how they were able to score against us during the run of play.
“We had the ball for a majority of the game, but I don’t think that bothered them much as they were seeking opportunities to make a lot of a little. As we grow our desire to get forward, we will need to remain aware of our defensive priorities as well–so their goal against us will be a useful learning tool,” he added.
Mady Postma scored Centennial’s first goal. She now leads the Jaguars with four goals on the season.
“The game was close because for most of the second half, the score was tied 1-1,” Becker said. “They were a good team and played to their strengths, but we were able to keep the ball in their half for a lot of the game.”
Allen was confident that the Jaguars would be able to produce another goal.
“After Mady scored the tying goal, it felt like another goal would come–chances certainly were,” Allen said. “Emmarie was able to provide that when she made the most of a long throw from Boyle that Dowling had difficulty clearing.”
Centennial finished with 21 shots from 11 different players. Becker and Kayle Pezzetti led the way with three shots apiece, two of them on goal.
“They were a good defensive team,” Becker said. “They weren’t scared to win the ball in the air and didn’t let you have a lot of time on the ball before they were there for the tackle.”
Becker was relieved to come way with the victory.
“It always feels great to get a conference win,” she said. “There’s things we can always take away from a game, but I’m happy with the result.”
The Jaguars will now face No. 5 Ankeny on Thursday at Northview Stadium. The game will be played at 5 p.m., with the boys’ game to follow.
The Hawkettes are 1-1 in the league and 3-2 overall after posting a 2-1 win over No. 9 Johnston on Tuesday.
