A gusty wind wreaked havoc on the Ankeny girls’ soccer team Monday night.
It also didn’t help that the fourth-ranked Hawkettes were playing on the road against a talented Waukee side without their starting goalkeeper.
The No. 6 Warriors got a pair of goals from Sydney Burrier in the first half and went on to defeat Ankeny, 2-0, in a CIML Conference game at Timberline Middle School.
“The wind made a big difference in the game, and it led to two very different halves,” said Ankeny coach Gavin Mason. “The first half we were under pressure and couldn’t get the ball out for long stretches. Even so, we managed to create a couple chances. I thought we created by far the better chances throughout the match. Unfortunately, we just weren’t able to capitalize.”
Burrier scored her first goal at the 7:01 mark to give Waukee an early lead. She then found the net again at 22:21 for her fifth goal of the season.
Despite going into the wind, Ankeny had a chance to gain some momentum when Ava Paoli got the ball while breaking away from a Waukee defender with about 10 minutes left in the first half. But Waukee goalkeeper Morgan Lowry came rushing at Paoli and deflected her shot away while sliding onto the turf.
Lowry finished with six saves for the Warriors, who remained unbeaten in league play.
“It just wasn’t our night,” Mason said.
The Hawkettes had even more scoring chances in the second half. But the Waukee defense, which has allowed just three goals all season, held firm.
“The second half we kept the ball in our attacking end, but we didn’t quite find enough quality,” Mason said. “When we brought the ball down and played tonight we looked good, but we didn’t do nearly enough of that. I think you can chalk it up to an off night for us.”
The Warriors improved to 3-0-2 in the conference and 5-1-3 overall. Ankeny’s records dropped to 2-3 and 5-4.
The Hawkettes played without sophomore goalkeeper Paige Hartz, who suffered a concussion during Friday’s 3-1 win over Southeast Polk. Midfielders Isabel Squires and Kyla Schaapveld shared the goalkeeping duties on Monday.
“With Paige out we have had to shift our system to accommodate others filling that role,” Mason said. “Izzy and Kyla did a good job in goal for us, and in truth didn’t have a ton to do on the night. But ultimately we need them both on the field. We will regroup and be ready to go (Tuesday).”
Ankeny will host a non-conference game against Class 2A No. 4 North Polk (7-1) on Tuesday. The Comets’ only loss came to Class 2A No. 2 Norwalk, 2-1, on Thursday.
The Hawkettes had posted a 2-1 win at Norwalk two nights earlier.
