The Waverly-Shell Rock and Denver girls soccer teams both fell in their state championship games on Saturday, June 7. The Go-Hawks fell to Dallas Center-Grimes in double overtime, and the Cyclones lost 2-0 to Davenport Assumption.
Go-Hawks lose in incredible double overtime game
In the class 2A championship game, the Go-Hawks played Dallas Center-Grimes in an incredible game. For 90 minutes, the two-teams played back-and-forth, physical soccer, but were unable to put any points on the board.
That lack of scoring was, of course, thanks to the stellar play of both teams on the defensive side. Time after time, as the teams worked the ball inside the box, both teams swarmed to take the ball away or force a tough shot that could easily be saved by the keeper.
It certainly didn’t help that the Go-Hawks were missing two extremely important pieces from their starting lineup, owing to injuries: Linde Hubbard and Gracie Abben. The loss of those two players was definitely felt throughout the game.
In the first half, the scoring opportunities were fairly even. In the second half, however, the Mustangs began to dominate possession of the ball, and were able to get more shots off than the Go-Hawks, who struggled to open space in the Mustang defense.
Still, despite the onslaught from the Mustangs, the Go-Hawks stood firm in the back half.
W-SR Goalkeeper Stella Reicherts played an incredible game down the stretch, racking up save after save to help along the struggling offense.
It was thanks to Reicherts, and the incredible play of the defenders, that the Go-Hawks were able to force overtime. Even as the Go-Hawk defense was forced to play looking into the sun in the late stages of regulation, they still didn’t allow anything to get past.
Reicherts talked after the game about her mindset that allowed her to play such an incredible game in front of the net.
“We all had to come up with one word before the game, and my one word was ‘composed’. Throughout the game I tried to keep my team composed. I was thinking, ‘just keep the ball out of the net, and stay composed,’†said Reicherts.
The first overtime period would see much of the same from both teams. The Go-Hawks were able to get a few decent looks inside the Mustang box, but couldn’t quite get things opened up enough for a goal. On the defensive side, Reicherts continued to play an incredible game, racking up save after save to keep the Go-Hawks alive.
The game seemed destined to go to a penalty shootoff, as neither team would let up on the defensive end. About four minutes into the second overtime however, the game finally had its first goal and its conclusion.
Dallas Center-Grimes controlled the ball just outside of the Go-Hawk box, and sent a shot toward the top of the goal. The shot was just out of reach for Reicherts, bouncing off the top cross bar and falling straight down.
Unfortunately for the Go-Hawks, as Reicherts grabbed the ball, it had already crossed the goal line to be counted as a goal. By just a few inches, the Go-Hawks lost the state championship game.
Anaka Ott gave her thoughts on the game after the loss.
“I thought it was a very even game. I thought we were going to have it, but they happened to get their chance and put it in,†said Ott.
Ott also gave a reflection about the incredible season for the Go-Hawks.
“I wouldn’t trade this season for anything. I feel like our team really stepped up and matured, and we came together as a team. Especially after losing [Hubbard and Abben], I feel like our team just got stronger, and I feel like we’re going to come out better and harder-working,†described Ott.
After the match, Sydney Bienemann and Anaka Ott were both named to the class 2A all-tournament team, with Ott being named captain. The Go-Hawks finish the season with an 18-1-1 record.
Cyclones unable to score against Davenport Assumption
In the class 1A championship, the Cyclones took on Davenport Assumption. Unlike the 2A championship game, the 1A game took very little time to see its first goal.
Just over five minutes into the game, the Knights handled the ball along the right side of the field. A Knight’s forward was able to sneak a beautiful pass back toward the box, where it was finished for an easy goal to give the Knights the lead.
With the amount of time on the clock, there was no reason to panic for the Cyclones. They had gone down in their semifinals game against Hudson, and were still able to come back and win the game. This time around, the result would be different.
The Knights proved to be too much for the Cyclones on the defensive end. The Cyclones would get a few decent looks at the goal, but weren’t able to open up any great opportunities to score. The Cyclones themselves also tightened up after the early goal, and the match entered halftime with a score of 1-0.
The second half was almost an exact copy of the first. Just over nine minutes into the second half, the Knights once again found space to send a great shot past goalkeeper Adeana Murch for their second goal of the game. With 30 minutes to play, the Cyclones faced a two-goal deficit.
The Cyclones continued to try and open up space, but couldn’t break the incredible Knights defense. The Cyclones remained stifled for the remainder of the game, and the game finished with a final score of 2-0 in favor of the Knights.
After a second straight runner-up finish, the Cyclones were rightfully heartbroken. Head Coach Derek Krebsbach’s thoughts could be summarized in just two words: ‘it hurts.’
Senior Alayna Akers also gave her thoughts on the team’s performance during the championship game.
“I don’t know if we really came out and played our game. We played a little timid, a little scared. We just didn’t really connect like we usually do. Assumption was out their connecting, winning [loose] balls, and they really battled,†Akers described.
Lastly, Krebsbach also talked about his senior class, and what they’ve meant to the program.
“They’ve really really changed the culture here at Denver soccer, and playing to a higher standard. I hope that carries on with groups in the future,†said Krebsbach.
After the game, Addyson Shepard, Keira Gehrke and Kenzie Snyder were all named to the all-tournament team. The Cyclones finish the year with a 21-1-1 record.
