Two of the top girls’ soccer teams in Class 3A appeared to be headed toward a scoreless draw on Friday night at Timberline Middle School.
With less than 12 minutes remaining, third-ranked Ankeny Centennial had been unable to solve Waukee goalkeeper Morgan Lowry–who seemed to be on the verge of recording another clean sheet.
Just one week earlier, Lowry made three saves as the No. 4 Warriors battled No. 1 Waukee Northwest to a 0-0 tie.
“They’re a quality side, and we definitely expected a good game from them,” said Centennial coach Chris Allen. “Last year’s game (which ended in a 1-1 draw) was kind of very similar where it was hard to crack them. Hat’s off to them–we respect them a lot.”
Centennial refused, however, to settle for a tie. The Jaguars found an opening in the 69th minute and capitalized on it.
Mady Postma dribbled toward the goal and took a shot that was deflected. Teammate Jaeden Jackson was there for the rebound and booted it past Lowry for her third goal of the season.
“It was a really good shot from Mady, and it just rebounded,” said Jackson, a sophomore. “I was a little nervous about (my shot), but it went in and that’s all that matters. It went in and we got to celebrate by doing what Mady calls her ‘Double Siuu.'”
It was only the fourth goal allowed all season by Waukee.
“One of our keys was to drive and draw a defender and then share (the ball) in the last minute,” Allen said. “Mady was driving forward and shared it out right before contact. Jaeden was there to finish because she made a run to match.”
The Jaguars went on to post a 1-0 victory, but not before some anxious moments at the end. Waukee pressed hard in the final minutes and nearly got an equalizer with about 90 seconds left when Hayden Beyer fired a shot from close range, but Centennial goalkeeper Rylee Litchfield dove to her left and batted the ball away.
“Honestly, I don’t really remember it,” said Litchfield. “It was really quick and happened so fast. I just really have to thank my team for always saving my butt. It all goes to my team.”
The win kept Centennial’s CIML Conference title hopes alive. The Jaguars are now 4-1 in the league and 9-1-1 overall, while Waukee’s records fell to 3-1-2 and 5-2-3.
Both teams are still chasing Northwest, which is 4-0-1 in conference play. No. 2 Valley is also in the mix at 4-1-1.
Centennial had some chances to take the lead earlier, but Lowry made six saves to keep the game scoreless. The Jaguars had the best opportunity of the first half off a corner kick in the 34th minute, but Lowry deflected one shot to her right and then dove to her left shortly thereafter to save another.
Another Centennial corner kick nearly produced a goal in the 63rd minute. Kayle Pezzetti got a good look at the goal on a volley, but Lowry dove to her right to make the save.
“You need big saves during a season,” Allen said. “Their keeper came up huge, and I’m just glad Rylee was able to explode and make a big save when we really needed it and she read it really well.”
The Jaguars posted their sixth shutout of the season.
“It feels really good to get the win,” Litchfield said. “Honestly, I thought I was going to have a lot more action, but my defense is just incredible. Shout out to Evie (Boyle) and Hadley (Bergan). They’re my buddies. They’ve always got my back.”
Centennial will be back in action on Monday with a non-conference game at No. 12 Ames (7-1-2), another foe with a strong defense. The Little Cyclones are riding a three-game winning streak in which they have not allowed a goal.
