Ankeny Fanatic

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Marissa Lopez

Ankeny foursome helps Wartburg advance to Div. III soccer tournament

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More than a third of the starting lineup for the Wartburg College women's soccer team hails from Ankeny. Junior midfielder Molly Close and sophomore defender Hailey Osburn both played at Ankeny, while junior midfielder Emily Fontana and sophomore goalkeeper Marissa Lopez are former Ankeny Centennial players. The quartet has helped the Knights to a berth … [Read more...] about Ankeny foursome helps Wartburg advance to Div. III soccer tournament

Knights fall to UW-La Crosse, finish season at 13-6-1

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Emily Fontana has no regrets about her decision to transfer to Wartburg College. The former Ankeny Centennial soccer standout played the final game of her sophomore season on Saturday, when the Knights dropped a 2-0 decision at 23rd-ranked University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in the first round of the NCAA Division III tournament. The midfielder transferred … [Read more...] about Knights fall to UW-La Crosse, finish season at 13-6-1

Jaguars top rival Ankeny in thriller for their 2nd state title in 3 years

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Ankeny Centennial senior Kenzie Geiger held onto the Class 3A championship trophy and didn't want to let go. She finally allowed somebody else to hold it when a reporter interrupted her victory celebration. "It feels really amazing," Geiger said after the top-ranked Jaguars defeated No. 2 Ankeny, 3-2, in the Class 3A final of the girls' state soccer … [Read more...] about Jaguars top rival Ankeny in thriller for their 2nd state title in 3 years

Class 3A title game puts Iowa Rush teammates on opposite sides of field

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Saturday's Class 3A championship game at the girls' state soccer tournament was like an instrasquad scrimmage for the Iowa Rush. About 20 members of the Rush played for either Ankeny or Ankeny Centennial in the title contest at Cownie Soccer Complex, putting teammates and lifelong friends on opposite sides of the field. "It was a little physical, and … [Read more...] about Class 3A title game puts Iowa Rush teammates on opposite sides of field

Wood’s blast allows Jaguars to edge No. 8 Johnston

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A year ago, Miranda Wood was the third-string goalkeeper for the Ankeny Centennial girls' soccer team. Now, the sophomore is playing a key role in the midfield. Wood scored the game's only goal on a blast from about 40 yards out to give the top-ranked Jaguars a 1-0 victory at No. 8 Johnston in their regular-season finale on Thursday. "Miranda just … [Read more...] about Wood’s blast allows Jaguars to edge No. 8 Johnston

Jaguars celebrate Senior Night with victory over Lincoln

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Thursday's game against visiting Des Moines Lincoln was a chance for the Ankeny Centennial girls' soccer team to celebrate its seniors. The top-ranked Jaguars rolled to a 7-0 victory as seven different players each contributed a goal, including seniors Olivia Brown, Karina Fritz and Kenzie Geiger. Geiger also had an assist as Centennial raised its overall … [Read more...] about Jaguars celebrate Senior Night with victory over Lincoln

Gray’s late PK lifts Jaguars past Lewis Central in matchup of No. 1 teams

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Chris Allen didn't hesitate to find a shooter when the Council Bluffs Lewis Central girls' soccer team was called for a handball in the box during the final seconds of regulation in Saturday's game against Ankeny Centennial. He immediately called upon senior Megan Gray. "I think Meg believes in herself quite a bit," Allen said. "Her shots in practice … [Read more...] about Gray’s late PK lifts Jaguars past Lewis Central in matchup of No. 1 teams

‘Gritty’ Jaguars overcome adversity, pull together for 2-1 victory at No. 1 Valley

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A state championship team often has to be able to overcome adversity somewhere along the way. The Ankeny Centennial girls' soccer team did just that on Friday. The third-ranked Jaguars played without two of their best players, lost another key player to an injury in the first half, and still managed to pull out a 2-1 victory at No. 1 Valley. The win … [Read more...] about ‘Gritty’ Jaguars overcome adversity, pull together for 2-1 victory at No. 1 Valley

Lopez boots game-winner; Jaguars top Ankeny for 3rd straight time

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Ankeny Centennial's Nahomi Lopez didn't mind turning the goalkeeping duties over to her sister, Marissa, on Wednesday at Ankeny High School. It allowed Nahomi to score the game-winning goal against her crosstown rival. Nahomi converted a penalty kick to give the third-ranked Jaguars a 3-2 victory over No. 6 Ankeny in the completion of Tuesday's … [Read more...] about Lopez boots game-winner; Jaguars top Ankeny for 3rd straight time

No. 1 Waukee wins shootout, spoils Jaguars’ debut on home turf

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Two of the state's best girls' soccer teams collided on Friday night at Ankeny Centennial's new turf field. It was almost fitting that the game was decided by a shootout. Top-ranked Waukee got two big saves from goalkeeper Emily LeVere and eventually won the shootout, 4-3, to post a 1-0 victory over No. 3 Centennial in a CIML Central Conference … [Read more...] about No. 1 Waukee wins shootout, spoils Jaguars’ debut on home turf

Loaded Centennial girls’ soccer team earns No. 4 preseason ranking

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There's at least a dozen reasons why the Ankeny Centennial girls' soccer team is ranked fourth in the Class 3A preseason rankings by the Iowa Girls' High School Athletic Union. That's how many Jaguars have already committed to play soccer at the collegiate level. Several of them are headed to Division I schools, and they're also the foundation of … [Read more...] about Loaded Centennial girls’ soccer team earns No. 4 preseason ranking