Thursday’s top-five showdown against its crosstown rival could have lost some of its luster if the Ankeny girls’ soccer team didn’t take care of business on Tuesday.
After battling ninth-ranked Johnston to a 1-1 tie at halftime, No. 5 Ankeny needed a strong second half on its home pitch to even its record in the CIML Conference.
And the Hawkettes delivered with a dominant performance over the final 40 minutes.
Isabel Squires scored the go-ahead goal, and Ankeny went on to post a 2-1 victory over the Dragons.
“It was a fantastic strike from Izzy, but we felt like we could have had several more with the chances we created,” said Ankeny coach Gavin Mason. “I’m really happy with the effort tonight, and the girls absolutely deserved the result.”
Ava Paoli gave the Hawkettes an early lead when she scored her team-leading fourth goal of the season.
However, Johnston got an equalizer later in the half.
“The first half was pretty evenly balanced,” Mason said. “We were able to get another early goal, but unfortunately all it took was one mistake from us before halftime to let them back in it.”
Mason was proud of the way his team responded after the break.
“The girls played with excellent intensity, and I thought we really imposed our will on the game after the break,” he said. “We controlled the ball, created good chances, and were more organized defensively.”
Abby Steinkamp and Kiersten Petersen each had an assist for Ankeny, which improved to 1-1 in the conference and 3-2 overall. The Dragons’ records fell to 1-3 and 1-4.
The Hawkettes will now face No. 3 Ankeny Centennial on Thursday at Northview Stadium. The game will be played at 5 p.m., with the boys’ game to follow.
The Jaguars are now 2-0 in the league and 4-0 overall after posting a 2-1 win at Dowling Catholic on Tuesday.
