After rallying from a two-goal deficit, the Ankeny Centennial girls’ soccer team was more than happy to settle for a draw in its final game at the Tournament of Champions on Saturday at Bettendorf.
The third-ranked Jaguars overcame a 2-0 deficit against Middleton (Wis.) with goals by Gaby Berger and Grace Poskevich. When time expired at the end of regulation, the two coaching staffs agreed to eschew a shootout and called it a 2-2 tie.
“We could have gone to PKs to settle the final, but Middleton needed to be on the road for prom and we were unwilling to leave the result to a coin toss,” said Centennial coach Chris Allen, whose team is now 7-1-1 on the season. “So the staffs agreed to allow the game to settle as a tie if it came to it.”
It was the fourth draw in 11 games for Middleton, which now boasts a 6-1-4 record.
“The last game was very physically challenging,” said Centennial senior Emmarie Becker. “We had sore legs and an early game, and it was very difficult going down 0-2 in the first half. However, we played much better the second half and were able to fight back.”
The Cardinals scored twice in the first half before Berger found the net off a shot by Piper Zeman to cut the deficit in half at the break. It was the fifth goal of the season for Berger, tying her for the team lead.
“Middleton is a very good team,” Allen said. “But we were able to battle back to tie it and actually had the better of opportunities in the second half. Overall, we are very proud of how the team played and handled the challenges of the weekend.”
Poskevich scored the equalizer in the second half off a corner deflection. It was her second goal of the year.
“The corner bounced out, and I kicked it back in,” Poskevich said. “It was exciting because it tied the game and made everyone more driven and intense to try to win it.”
The Jaguars went 2-0-1 in a span of 24 hours.
“I thought the weekend was pretty good,” Poskevich said. “Overall, we were pretty tired but we were able to keep working hard in all of the games. We were able to have back-to-back games and see how hard we could play. We also played teams that put up a good fight against us and made us work hard for the win.”
The Jaguars opened the tournament on Friday with a 3-0 victory over Normal (Ill.). They took a 1-0 halftime lead and then added two more goals in the second half.
Becker had a goal and an assist to lead the way.
“It was a good game where we generated a lot of chances and possessed the ball really well,” Becker said.
Kayle Pezzetti and Berger also had goals in the win. Emily Conger and Evie Boyle each added an assist.
Centennial later rallied for a 3-1 win over Waunakee (Wis.) after conceding an early goal. Pezzetti scored the go-ahead goal late in the first half and also had an assist.
Jaeden Jackson and Becker scored the Jaguars’ other goals. Berger and Boyle each contributed an assist.
“It was a physical challenge since it was the second game that day, but we worked together and fought until the very end,” Becker said. “It was hard to go down by a goal early on, but we didn’t give up and were able to finalize on three chances.”
Poskevich said the weekend trip gave the players a chance to bond both on and off the field.
“It was a good opportunity to be with one another for a long time, hang out and celebrate,” she said.
Becker said it was a fun trip following the Jaguars’ 2-1 loss at No. 2 Valley on Tuesday.
“We were able to bounce back positively from the Valley game and connect extremely well as a team,” she said. “Off the field, it was so fun getting to hang out all together and doing all of our fun traditions that we’ve done every year prior. The tournament was an overall challenging but amazing experience.
“It was definitely a turning point of the season, and I can’t wait for what’s to come in the second half of the season!” she added.
Centennial will host a non-conference game against No. 12 Mason City (7-1) on Monday at Northview, beginning at 7:30 p.m. The Riverhawks are coming off their first loss, 4-0, to Class 2A No. 11 Gilbert on Friday.
