Senior forward Ava Paoli has helped the sixth-ranked Ankeny girls’ soccer team to an 11-5-1 record and another berth in the Class 3A state tournament. She had an assist on Thursday as the Hawkettes punched their ticket to state with a 3-1 win over Cedar Rapids Kennedy in a regional final.
Paoli leads her team with 14 goals and 34 points. She has six assists, tying her for the team lead in that category with Sophia Kephart and Abby Steinkamp.
Here is some inside info on Paoli:
Congratulations on making it back to state. I know your team didn’t have much of a scouting report on Cedar Rapids Kennedy, but were you pretty confident going into the game?
We didn’t know a ton about Kennedy going into the game, but I think we were still really confident in ourselves and the way we’ve been playing lately. We trusted our preparation with the week off and knew if we played our game, we’d put ourselves in a good position to win.
The start of the game was delayed for almost two hours due to heavy rain and lightning. What did you do during the delay?
During the delay we mostly just tried to stay loose and keep the energy up. We played some spikeball, danced in the rain, listened to music, and tried not to lose focus even though it was a long wait.
I heard that some of the girls were getting hungry during the delay. Do you usually wait to eat a meal until after the game?
Yes, we definitely got hungry during the delay, and I’m sure it affected us and Kennedy as well. My routine includes a full meal before the game and knowing the game could get delayed I planned ahead and brought extra food. We also had some food in the locker room for people to snack on. But with the delay being so long we had to find things just to keep our energy up.
Some of the Class 3A regional finals were played earlier in the day to beat the weather, and two others were postponed until Friday. Did you ever think that your game might get postponed too?
I think it crossed everyone’s mind at some point because the rain was pretty bad, especially seeing some other games get postponed. But honestly, we were all really excited to play and make it to state, so once the rain started slowing down we were just focused on being ready whenever we got the chance to play.
You had to wait until Friday to find out who your opponent would be in the Class 3A quarterfinals, but it appeared that the most likely scenario would be a rematch against No. 3 Ankeny Centennial which eventually turned out to be the case. Your team will play the Jaguars on Tuesday at 2:45 p.m. on Field 2 at the Lied Recreation Fields in Ames. Were you hoping for another shot at your crosstown rival?
Yes, it’s always an exciting game and I’m excited to have another shot at it.
Your team lost to Centennial, 1-0, on April 23. What do you remember most about that game?
I think that game was so early in our season, and we have grown a lot since then. We didn’t capitalize on the opportunities, but know we need to stay focused to get the job done.
What do you think will be the key to winning the rematch?
I think the key to the game will be staying disciplined for the full game and taking advantage of our opportunities when we get them. Games like this are usually decided by small moments.
The forecast calls for a high temperature of 90 degrees on Tuesday. Would the heat become a factor if it gets that hot?
The heat could definitely become a factor if it gets that hot, especially later in the game. I think hydration and prepping days before will be key.
Last year’s state tournament was played in some rainy conditions, and it looks like there is anywhere from a 45 to a 90 percent chance of rain throughout the week. Are you concerned at all that the grass fields up there could become a mess again if we get a lot of rain?
I don’t think we’re too concerned about the conditions because both teams have to deal with the same thing. The game against Kennedy along with last year‘s quarterfinal game helped prepare us for playing in difficult weather, so I think we’ll be ready for whatever happens.
Top-ranked Waukee Northwest is the defending champion and the No. 1 seed, but your team played the Wolves to one of their three draws on May 12. What impressed you the most about Northwest’s team?
I would say how organized and composed they were. They move the ball really well and stayed disciplined defensively, which makes them tough to play against.
Of course, there won’t be any draws in the state tournament, and last year your team lost to Waukee in the quarterfinals in a shootout. Are you guys prepared to go to PKs if it happens again?
We’ve definitely been practicing our PKs and making sure we’re prepared for that situation if it happens again. But hopefully we can finish our opportunities during the game so it doesn’t have to come down to PKs.
