As the Ankeny girls' soccer players walked off of Field 9 on Friday at Cownie Soccer Park, the Hawkettes held their heads up high. By reaching the Class 3A championship game for the third consecutive season, Ankeny had exceeded most people's expectations. "Everyone doubted us," said junior defender Eden Gibson. "Nobody believed in us, but we believed … [Read more...] about ‘It just didn’t go our way’: Hawkettes drop 1-0 decision to Valley in Class 3A final
Simon Brown
‘We don’t look at the rankings’: Hawkettes top No. 3 Waukee, will play for title
The Ankeny girls' soccer team has become a Waukee giant-killer. Two years ago, the Hawkettes posted a 1-0 victory over top-ranked Waukee to win the Class 3A state title. On Wednesday, No. 8 Ankeny earned a third consecutive trip to the championship game with a 2-1 win over No. 3 Waukee in the Class 3A semifinals at Cownie Soccer Park. "It feels … [Read more...] about ‘We don’t look at the rankings’: Hawkettes top No. 3 Waukee, will play for title
Blimpie Sub of the Week: Allie Heller, Ankeny girls’ soccer
Freshman defender Allie Heller is a member of the Ankeny girls' soccer team. She has helped the eighth-ranked Hawkettes to a 13-4 record. "Allie has been a great and surprising addition to the team this year," said Ankeny coach Simon Brown. "She made her way onto the varsity roster and has grown in confidence as the season has gone on working her way into … [Read more...] about Blimpie Sub of the Week: Allie Heller, Ankeny girls’ soccer
‘I just know what I do’: Christmann’s PK in final minute sends Ankeny into semis
With the sun beating down on her, Ankeny forward Rachael Christmann had no desire to go into overtime during the Class 3A quarterfinals of the girls' state soccer tournament on Tuesday. A handball in the box against Pleasant Valley in the final minute of regulation gave the Hawkettes an opportunity to break a scoreless tie. And Christmann didn't let it … [Read more...] about ‘I just know what I do’: Christmann’s PK in final minute sends Ankeny into semis
‘It feels great to make it to state!”: Ankeny girls oust Johnston with 2 late goals
Jenna Pitz and her teammates on the Ankeny girls' soccer squad dumped a cooler of ice and water on the head of coach Simon Brown following Friday's Class 3A regional final. You can get away with doing that after you've qualified for the state tournament. The eighth-ranked Hawkettes scored two late goals to defeat No. 14 Johnston, 2-1, in the Region 2 … [Read more...] about ‘It feels great to make it to state!”: Ankeny girls oust Johnston with 2 late goals
Proctor’s goal lifts Hawkettes past Ames, closer to state tournament berth
Elizabeth Proctor couldn't have picked a better time to score her first goal of the season. The freshman defender found the net in the 21st minute for the game's only goal and the eighth-ranked Ankeny girls' soccer team posted a 1-0 victory over No. 10 Ames in a Class 3A regional semifinal on Wednesday at Ankeny. It was the sixth straight win for the … [Read more...] about Proctor’s goal lifts Hawkettes past Ames, closer to state tournament berth
Hawkettes extend winning streak, will now gear up for postseason play
The Ankeny girls' soccer team will take a five-game winning streak into postseason play. The ninth-ranked Hawkettes closed out the regular season on Tuesday with a 10-0 victory over visiting Ottumwa. They improved to 10-4, while the Bulldogs' record dropped to 3-11. "We were 5-4 when the regional seedings came out, and that's why we got seeded where we … [Read more...] about Hawkettes extend winning streak, will now gear up for postseason play
Hawkettes cruise as Christmann racks up 4 goals, 3 assists on Senior Night
Ankeny girls' soccer coach Simon Brown started six seniors on Senior Night. The sextet helped the ninth-ranked Hawkettes to a 10-0 victory over visiting Des Moines Hoover in a non-conference game on Tuesday. "It was good," Brown said. "We started every senior that was eligible today, so we had six of them out there. It was good to give them an … [Read more...] about Hawkettes cruise as Christmann racks up 4 goals, 3 assists on Senior Night
‘It took a little bit of magic’: Pritchard’s goal lifts Hawkettes to 1-0 win at S.E. Polk
It took a little bit of magic for the Ankeny girls' soccer team to post a 1-0 victory at Southeast Polk on Monday. Teja Pritchard scored the game's only goal on a direct kick with about 15 minutes left. It was the seventh goal of the season for Pritchard, who was assisted by Kennedy Macke. Pritchard blasted a shot into the upper left corner of the net … [Read more...] about ‘It took a little bit of magic’: Pritchard’s goal lifts Hawkettes to 1-0 win at S.E. Polk
Hawkettes outlast Ames in shootout in preview of Class 3A regional semifinal
Friday's matchup between the ninth-ranked Ankeny girls' soccer team and No. 10 Ames served as a preview of next month's regional tournament. The visiting Hawkettes posted a 2-1 victory in a shootout to earn a second-place finish in the CIML Iowa Conference. The loss snapped Ames' five-game winning streak. The two teams will meet again in a Class 3A … [Read more...] about Hawkettes outlast Ames in shootout in preview of Class 3A regional semifinal
Hawkettes roll past Marshalltown to end two-game losing skid
Coming off a couple tough losses, the Ankeny girls' soccer team needed to catch a break. The schedule offered one on Tuesday night. The eighth-ranked Hawkettes rolled to a 10-0 victory over visiting Marshalltown in a CIML Iowa Conference game. The winless Bobcats have scored only four goals all season. "It was good for momentum probably to have a … [Read more...] about Hawkettes roll past Marshalltown to end two-game losing skid
‘Everything that can go wrong is going wrong’: Hawkettes fall to Johnston in PKs
The Ankeny girls' soccer team was looking to bounce back from Monday's loss to Ankeny Centennial. Instead, the Hawkettes have now suffered back-to-back defeats for the second time this season. Tenth-ranked Johnston posted a 2-1 victory at No. 8 Ankeny in a shootout on Friday. The Dragons won the shootout by a 3-1 margin. "It was just one of those … [Read more...] about ‘Everything that can go wrong is going wrong’: Hawkettes fall to Johnston in PKs
Centennial extends its shutout streak to 7 games with 4-0 win over Hawkettes
The Ankeny Centennial girls' soccer team tried to not get too hyped for Monday's showdown against its crosstown rival. The second-ranked Jaguars tried to treat No. 7 Ankeny like they would any other opponent. And that's exactly what Centennial did. The Jaguars rolled to a 4-0 victory for their seventh consecutive shutout, dominating the Ankeny Derby … [Read more...] about Centennial extends its shutout streak to 7 games with 4-0 win over Hawkettes
‘Even our reserves were able to find the net’: Hawkettes rout Fort Dodge, 16-0
It took a few minutes for the Ankeny girls' soccer team to score its first goal during Friday's game against visiting Fort Dodge. Once Ally Phong found the net, however, the goals came in a flurry. The seventh-ranked Hawkettes erupted for 16 goals in the first half to post a 16-0 victory in the CIML Iowa Conference game. The contest ended at halftime … [Read more...] about ‘Even our reserves were able to find the net’: Hawkettes rout Fort Dodge, 16-0
‘It was good to see the offense flowing’: Phong, Hawkettes rout Mason City
Simon Brown has been waiting for his Ankeny girls' soccer team to have an offensive explosion. It finally came on Tuesday night. The seventh-ranked Hawkettes built a 6-0 halftime lead and rolled to an 8-1 victory at Mason City in their CIML Iowa Conference opener. "It was good to see the offense flowing and some girls getting much-deserved goals," … [Read more...] about ‘It was good to see the offense flowing’: Phong, Hawkettes rout Mason City
‘A recipe for disaster’: Ankeny’s offensive woes continue in OT loss to Spartans
A second shutout loss in three days has left the Ankeny girls' soccer team searching for answers. The Hawkettes battled Pleasant Valley into overtime before dropping a 1-0 decision on Saturday at the Bettendorf Invitational. The loss followed a similar 1-0 setback at Dowling Catholic on Thursday. "Scoring goals has obviously been a problem the last two … [Read more...] about ‘A recipe for disaster’: Ankeny’s offensive woes continue in OT loss to Spartans
Unbeaten Dowling Catholic hands Hawkettes their first loss of the season
The Ankeny girls' soccer team couldn't find a way to score a goal during Thursday's game at Dowling Catholic. The Hawkettes are not alone. The Maroons got a goal from Julia Moore midway through the second half and posted a 1-0 victory for their fourth consecutive shutout. They have outscored their opponents by a 14-0 margin this season. "We probably … [Read more...] about Unbeaten Dowling Catholic hands Hawkettes their first loss of the season
‘We kicked it into gear in the 2nd half’: Hawkettes knock off Bettendorf
Friday's 4-2 victory over visiting Bettendorf could pay off later this season for the Ankeny girls' soccer team. "Bettendorf is always a top-10 team," said Ankeny coach Simon Brown. "The motivation before the game was that if we could beat a top-10 team it would keep us in the mix for a good seed in the postseason." Kennedy Mackey scored a pair of … [Read more...] about ‘We kicked it into gear in the 2nd half’: Hawkettes knock off Bettendorf
Hawkettes allow tying goal in final second, then top I.C. West in shootout
The Ankeny girls' soccer team was just seconds away from clinching a season-opening victory on Tuesday. The Hawkettes held a 1-0 lead at Iowa City West and had control of the ball in the final minute of regulation. "We were up with a lot of shots (for us) to a little (for West), and we had the ball in the corner with about 20 seconds to go," said … [Read more...] about Hawkettes allow tying goal in final second, then top I.C. West in shootout
Ankeny Fanatic Podcast: Episode 130
Girls' soccer coaches Simon Brown of Ankeny and Chris Allen of Ankeny Centennial were the guests on the latest edition of the Ankeny Fanatic weekly podcast sponsored by Coldwell Banker Mid-America. … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Podcast: Episode 130