The #12 (1A) Dike-New Hartford girls soccer team will host Aplington-Parkersburg for the third meeting between the teams this season in a 1A Region 2 quarterfinal Wednesday.
At 12-4, the Wolverines cruised to the end of the regular season on a seven-game win streak. In that span, they’ve given up just one goal while earning wins over fellow ranked teams Hudson, Iowa Falls-Alden and Center Point-Urbana. Head Coach Emma Eden says the defense has been a major factor in the success.
“We have a fantastic defensive line,” Eden says. “We have Hanna Steffen and Mallory Petersen as our center backs and we have Sophia Bennett and Joy Eilderts as our outside backs. And you have Miranda Tyler in the goal and they’re all just a force and they’re able to communicate and they’re just such fluid, like they’re fluid with each other that they know exactly what they need to do. And we have some great defensive mids that are there to stop any attack before it happens. And they just know where to place themselves to get in front of the ball and beat the offensive line. I feel like we just have a very strong defensive side of the game.”
Goalkeeper Miranda Tyler holds among the best save percentages in Class 1A. Lucy Varney leads with 10 goals and seven assists.
The Falcons got back to .500 by finishing the season on a three-game win streak. Head Coach Cory Goetsch.
“I really have been proud of the girls,” Goetsch says. “We’ve taken on some really good teams. Our last three games were against tough competition. Iowa Falls-Alden was ranked 12th in 2A. We were able to come out with an overtime victory against them. North Fayette Valley has some really good players. We were able to do pretty well against them too, putting 6-2 on the board and then finishing the season with a conference win against Union was a big thing. I think we’re coming together up front, really working to get the ball in the back of the net. It’s been, I think, a big part of our success.”
Kiara Morris and Carley Hook lead with 11 and nine goals.
Since the Wolverines began their program, they’ve won all nine games against the Falcons, including 2-0 and 1-0 wins this season.
The game will air on 99 The Wave, with coverage beginning at 5:20 p.m. followed by the kickoff at 5:30. The winner will advance to a regional semifinal against either Clear Lake or #15 (1A) Garner-Hayfield-Ventura.
Interview with Goetsch:
Cory-Goetsch-5-14-24
Interview with Eden:
