Ankeny Fanatic

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Boys' Soccer

After losing to Linn-Mar, Hawks’ late rally against C.R. Kennedy falls short

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The windy weather didn't help the Ankeny boys' soccer team on Saturday at Northview Stadium. The Hawks opened the season with a pair of losses to Linn-Mar (Marion) and Cedar Rapids Kennedy, but coach Marcus Varnum refused to blame the unfavorable conditions. "We try to keep the ball on the ground and play a specific style of soccer, but when it's windy … [Read more...] about After losing to Linn-Mar, Hawks’ late rally against C.R. Kennedy falls short

Hawks will have to replace Newhard, but 3 all-conference players are back

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Ankeny boys' soccer coach Marcus Varnum faces a monumental task this season. He'll have to find a way to replace the scoring production from all-state forward Lucas Newhard. Newhard joined the Hawks' program for his senior season a year ago and led the team to a 19-2 record. He scored a school-record 36 goals, more than half of the team's 71 goals, and … [Read more...] about Hawks will have to replace Newhard, but 3 all-conference players are back

Newhard’s unquenchable thirst for goals leads to Gatorade Iowa POY award

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Ankeny star Lucas Newhard has been named the 2021-22 Gatorade Iowa Boys Soccer Player of the Year. Newhard, who led the Hawks to a 19-2 record and an appearance in the Class 3A state tournament, said he did not expect to win the honor. "My reaction when I found out I won was that I was surprised--based on all the good players nominated for this award," … [Read more...] about Newhard’s unquenchable thirst for goals leads to Gatorade Iowa POY award

Ankeny’s Newhard, Centennial’s Duax named to Class 3A all-state first team

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Four Ankeny Centennial boys' soccer standouts have received all-state honors from the Iowa High School Soccer Coaches Association along with a pair of Ankeny stars. Senior forward Lucas Newhard of Ankeny and sophomore midfielder Ty Duax of Centennial were both selected to the Class 3A first team. Junior forward Rashidi Ishibwami of Centennial and senior … [Read more...] about Ankeny’s Newhard, Centennial’s Duax named to Class 3A all-state first team

Jaguars, Hawks dominate boys’ all-conference soccer team

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The Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial boys' soccer teams combined to fill 11 of the 13 slots on the CIML Iowa Conference first team. The Jaguars had six first-team picks, while the Hawks had five. Central Conference champion Ankeny had three unanimous picks to the first team--junior defender Kwaku Kwarteng, senior forward Lucas Newhard and senior midfielder … [Read more...] about Jaguars, Hawks dominate boys’ all-conference soccer team

‘We fell short of our goals’: No. 1 Hawks ousted by Waukee NW on penalty kick

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In a matchup between two quality sides, a questionable call can sometimes prove to be the difference. That was the case on Wednesday at the boys' state soccer tournament, where third-ranked Waukee Northwest scored the go-ahead goal on a penalty kick to beat No. 1 Ankeny, 2-1, in the Class 3A quarterfinals. "I may be biased on that, but I don't think … [Read more...] about ‘We fell short of our goals’: No. 1 Hawks ousted by Waukee NW on penalty kick

‘We still have lots of work to do’: Hawks earn trip to state, will face Waukee NW

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Lucas Newhard joined the Ankeny boys' soccer team this season with the hope of qualifying for the state tournament. Newhard accomplished his goal on Wednesday night. The senior forward scored two goals to lead the top-ranked Hawks to a 3-0 victory over visiting Sioux City East in a Class 3A substate final. "It’s an amazing feeling to go to state," … [Read more...] about ‘We still have lots of work to do’: Hawks earn trip to state, will face Waukee NW

Newhard, Hawks top Sioux City North, will host Sioux City East in substate final

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When your team is ranked No. 1 in the state, you don't have to worry as much about your opponents. "We want to make sure that we're dictating play," said Marcus Varnum, the coach of the top-ranked Ankeny boys' soccer team. "We want to play our style and make sure that we're controlling the game. We feel like we can go into any game and play our style. We … [Read more...] about Newhard, Hawks top Sioux City North, will host Sioux City East in substate final

Ward scores twice in 1st half, leads Hawks to 2-1 win over Hoover in finale

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A pair of first-half goals by Jace Ward proved to be enough for the Ankeny boys' soccer team on Tuesday. Ward found the net twice to give his team a 2-0 lead at halftime, and the top-ranked Hawks held on for a 2-1 victory over visiting Des Moines Hoover in a non-conference game. “Getting through our last regular-season game with a result like that … [Read more...] about Ward scores twice in 1st half, leads Hawks to 2-1 win over Hoover in finale

CONFERENCE CHAMPS: Hawks finish perfect league season with win at Ames

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After beating Waukee Northwest in overtime on Tuesday, the Ankeny boys' soccer team didn't want to share the CIML Iowa Conference title with the Wolves. The second-ranked Hawks made sure that wouldn't happen with a 3-1 victory on Friday at No. 15 Ames. The win clinched the outright league crown. "It was good to get the result from a well-organized and … [Read more...] about CONFERENCE CHAMPS: Hawks finish perfect league season with win at Ames

Benge’s goal in OT gives Hawks at least a share of Iowa Conference crown

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It took more than 80 minutes, but the Ankeny boys' soccer team clinched at least a share of the CIML Iowa Conference championship on Tuesday. The second-ranked Hawks defeated No. 3 Waukee Northwest, 2-1, on an overtime goal by freshman Landon Benge at Ankeny Stadium. "It was just a massive battle for the entire game," said Ankeny coach Marcus Varnum. … [Read more...] about Benge’s goal in OT gives Hawks at least a share of Iowa Conference crown

Substate pairings announced: Hawks, Jaguars to open postseason at home

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The boys' substate soccer pairings have been announced by the Iowa High School Athletic Association. Second-ranked Ankeny (15-1) is the top seed in Class 3A Substate 1 and will host a semifinal game on Monday, May 23 at 6:30 p.m. The Hawks will play the winner of a quarterfinal between Sioux City North (9-4) and Sioux City West (5-7). No. 15 Ames (7-4) … [Read more...] about Substate pairings announced: Hawks, Jaguars to open postseason at home

‘They deserved that one’: Dragons hand Ankeny boys their first loss in 2 OTs

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It took a team effort for the Ankeny boys' soccer squad to win its first 14 games of the season. When the top-ranked Hawks finally suffered their first loss on Friday, it was a team effort as well. "We're all accountable for this one, myself included," Ankeny coach Marcus Varnum said after the Hawks lost to No. 5 Johnston, 3-2, in double overtime at … [Read more...] about ‘They deserved that one’: Dragons hand Ankeny boys their first loss in 2 OTs

Substate assignments announced: Hawks, Jaguars learn their potential foes

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The road to the Class 3A state tournament appears to be a favorable one for the top-ranked Ankeny boys' soccer team. It doesn't look too bad for No. 4 Ankeny Centennial, either. The Iowa High School Athletic Association announced its substate assignments on Wednesday. The Hawks have been placed in Substate 1, while the Jaguars are in Substate … [Read more...] about Substate assignments announced: Hawks, Jaguars learn their potential foes

Newhard’s record-setting goal lifts Hawks to OT victory against Centennial

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Lucas Newhard couldn't have picked a better time to set the Ankeny school record for most goals in a season. Newhard booted the ball into the net just 33 seconds into overtime and the top-ranked Ankeny boys' soccer team defeated No. 4 Ankeny Centennial, 2-1, before a crowd of 3,800 on Tuesday at Ankeny Stadium. "It feels amazing," said Newhard. "I knew … [Read more...] about Newhard’s record-setting goal lifts Hawks to OT victory against Centennial

Hawks romp past Ottumwa, Fort Dodge; Showdown vs. Centennial up next

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Lucas Newhard and the Ankeny boys' soccer team may not be unstoppable, but nobody has found a way to slow them down yet. Newhard had a hat trick on Friday to lead the top-ranked Hawks to a 6-0 victory over visiting Fort Dodge in a CIML Iowa Conference game. The contest was moved to Ankeny Stadium due to an issue with the lights at Ankeny High … [Read more...] about Hawks romp past Ottumwa, Fort Dodge; Showdown vs. Centennial up next

Newhard scores 4 goals, Wahlberg adds pair in Hawks’ 8-0 win at Mason City

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Overcoming a slow start, the Ankeny boys' soccer team remained unbeaten with an 8-0 victory at Mason City on Tuesday. The top-ranked Hawks led by just 1-0 at halftime, but then erupted for seven goals in the second half. They improved to 2-0 in the CIML Iowa Conference and 11-0 overall, while Mason City's records dropped to 0-3 and 0-7. “We didn’t get … [Read more...] about Newhard scores 4 goals, Wahlberg adds pair in Hawks’ 8-0 win at Mason City

Now ranked No. 1, Ankeny boys throttle Bobcats for 10th consecutive triumph

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After becoming the new No. 1 team in Class 3A, the Ankeny boys' soccer team didn't suffer a letdown. The Hawks dominated visiting Marshalltown in their CIML Iowa Conference opener on Tuesday, rolling to a 7-0 triumph over the Bobcats. "It was definitely great to get out and get a victory under our belts as the most recently ranked No. 1 team, but we … [Read more...] about Now ranked No. 1, Ankeny boys throttle Bobcats for 10th consecutive triumph

Ankeny boys notch 3 shutouts at Valley Invitational, raise their record to 9-0

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The Ankeny boys' soccer team just keeps rolling along. The Hawks won three games over the weekend at the Valley Invitational--all of them by shutout. They posted a 3-0 victory over Norwalk on Friday, then followed with a 3-0 win over Sioux City East and a 6-0 triumph over Council Bluffs Lincoln on Saturday. "We had a successful weekend," said Ankeny … [Read more...] about Ankeny boys notch 3 shutouts at Valley Invitational, raise their record to 9-0