The success of the Ankeny boys' soccer program didn't happen overnight. The Hawks struggled to a 2-12-2 record in their first season of competition in 1985, and they didn't post a winning mark until 1989, when coach Mark McDougal led the team to a 7-6-3 campaign. The 1990s saw some gradual progress under McDougal and then Peter Rameh, who took over the … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic announces its all-time Ankeny boys’ soccer team
Riley Wood
Former Ankeny, Centennial standouts to join St. Cloud State’s new soccer program
When St. Cloud State dropped its football program after the 2019 season, it brought an abrupt end to Avery Knief's career. The former Ankeny Centennial punter enjoyed a strong freshman season for the Huskies, averaging 37.5 yards on 70 punts. He considered transferring to a different school, but eventually elected to stay at St. Cloud State. Now, three … [Read more...] about Former Ankeny, Centennial standouts to join St. Cloud State’s new soccer program
Hawks get the draw they wanted, will face Iowa City West in rematch
Ankeny boys' soccer coach Jordan Burns was hoping to avoid Waukee as long as possible. He got his wish. The seventh-seeded Hawks (12-6) will play No. 2 Iowa City West (16-1) in the quarterfinals of the Class 3A state tournament on Friday at 5:15 p.m. The start of the tournament was pushed back a day due to wet fields at Cownie Soccer … [Read more...] about Hawks get the draw they wanted, will face Iowa City West in rematch
#WeGoAgain: Pritchard leads Hawks past Lincoln, back to state tourney
Ankeny's Charlie Pritchard had to sit out the final game of last year's boys' state soccer tournament after picking up a red card following the Hawks' loss to Bettendorf in the Class 3A semifinals. The senior forward never lost faith that he'd get another chance to play at Cownie Park. On Saturday, Pritchard scored a pair of goals to ignite the … [Read more...] about #WeGoAgain: Pritchard leads Hawks past Lincoln, back to state tourney
Flip out, Charlie: Pritchard’s late heroics give Hawks 2-1 win over Centennial
Ankeny's Charlie Pritchard likes to celebrate big goals with a backflip. On Tuesday, the senior forward scored perhaps the biggest goal of his high school soccer career. Pritchard dribbled down the left side of the field and fought off two defenders before finding the back of the net in the 67th minute to give the 14th-ranked Hawks a 2-1 victory at No. … [Read more...] about Flip out, Charlie: Pritchard’s late heroics give Hawks 2-1 win over Centennial
Crosstown rivals gear up for top-10 showdowns at Ankeny Derby
Tuesday's Ankeny Derby will feature a pair of top-10 soccer showdowns at Ankeny Centennial. In the opener, the sixth-ranked Centennial girls' team (1-1, 8-3) will host No. 3 Ankeny (2-0, 10-2) at 6 p.m. It will be a rematch of last year's Class 3A championship game, which was won by the Jaguars, 3-2. "I'm sure Ankeny will be fired up and rightfully … [Read more...] about Crosstown rivals gear up for top-10 showdowns at Ankeny Derby
Iowa Rush 18U boys’ team captures national championship
The Iowa Rush Soccer Club made some history on Sunday in the U.S. Youth Soccer Presidents Cup at Westfield, Ind. The Ankeny-based club advanced two teams to the finals of their respective divisions, the 18U boys' team and the 14U girls' squad. The 18U boys' team posted a 5-1 victory over Barcelona of Arizona to become the first Iowa program to win a U.S. … [Read more...] about Iowa Rush 18U boys’ team captures national championship
Hawks’ victory sets up rematch against Roosevelt in Saturday’s substate final
For one night anyway, the Ankeny boys' soccer team got along just fine without senior Peter Gaspari. Gaspari, who received a red card during the regular-season finale against Des Moines Roosevelt on May 15, sat out on Wednesday as the sixth-ranked Hawks rolled to a 4-0 victory over visiting Sioux City North in a Class 3A substate semifinal. "Peter is … [Read more...] about Hawks’ victory sets up rematch against Roosevelt in Saturday’s substate final
No. 1 Valley remains unbeaten with 2-0 victory over Hawks
There's a reason why the Valley boys' soccer team is ranked No. 1 in Class 3A. The Tigers show up to play hard every night. Valley remained unbeaten with a 2-0 victory over No. 5 Ankeny on Friday at Valley Stadium. The Tigers, who had already wrapped up the outright CIML Central Conference title, finished 5-0 in league play and improved to 14-0 … [Read more...] about No. 1 Valley remains unbeaten with 2-0 victory over Hawks
Gaspari, Hawks celebrate 3rd straight victory over Ankeny Centennial
An excessive celebration resulted in a yellow card on Wednesday for Ankeny senior Peter Gaspari. He happily walked off the field at Ankeny High School and was mobbed by his boys' soccer teammates. Gaspari scored a goal with about 4 minutes left in the game to seal the seventh-ranked Hawks' 2-0 victory over No. 3 Ankeny Centennial. It was their third … [Read more...] about Gaspari, Hawks celebrate 3rd straight victory over Ankeny Centennial
Hawks top Lincoln, extend winning streak to 7 games
The Ankeny boys' soccer team extended its winning streak to seven games with a 2-1 victory over visiting Des Moines Lincoln on Friday. The sixth-ranked Hawks built a 2-0 lead and then held on for the win, raising their record to 7-1. No. 12 Lincoln dropped to 1-2-1. "It wasn't pretty by any stretch. We made it difficult for ourselves," said Ankeny … [Read more...] about Hawks top Lincoln, extend winning streak to 7 games
Ankeny boys’ soccer team rebounds from season-opening loss
When the Ankeny boys' soccer team opened its season on Friday with a 3-1 loss to Iowa City High at the Iowa City West Invitational, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The Hawks have since reeled off three consecutive victories heading into Thursday's home game against Des Moines Hoover. "Losing our first game to City High was the best thing … [Read more...] about Ankeny boys’ soccer team rebounds from season-opening loss
Burns takes over experienced Ankeny boys’ soccer team
The new head coach of the Ankeny boys' soccer team is already familiar with the Central Iowa Metropolitan League. Jordan Burns, a native of Scotland, spent the last three years as an assistant for Des Moines Roosevelt boys' coach Sean Holmes. Prior to that, he was a volunteer assistant for Waukee girls' coach Tony Gabriel for two years. Burns has … [Read more...] about Burns takes over experienced Ankeny boys’ soccer team