Success in Big Matches Pushes Women’s Soccer in a Positive Direction
Positive results in historical matchups increase the team’s motivation for upcoming games
Ava Bell ’24 battles a Xavier defender for the ball.
April 26, 2022
After some early losses in the season, the women’s soccer team played in two back-to-back historically competitive matchups. On Tuesday, April 12, the girls went against Cedar Rapids Xavier, and came out of the game with an overtime 2-1 win, the final goal scored on a penalty kick by Maclayne Menzel ’24. In the last 10 matchups between the schools, Xavier went 9-1, since 2011.
Assistant girls varsity soccer coach, Jessica Mouchka, shares, “These big wins have helped everyone mesh together, you feel it on the field and see it during the games when the girls connect. When the chemistry is there and everything is flowing.”
Only two days later, City High went against their hometown rival Iowa City West High, and once again came out on top. With Ava Bell ‘24 scoring 2 goals, City High defeated West 3-0. Claire Brown ‘23 scored in both games of the week, and the team elevated their record.
“It’s a great feeling, to have everyone come up to me and hug me after I scored. I felt very appreciated,” Bell says. “I think we are capable of doing great things during the rest of the season, I’m really excited.”
Coming out of this past week with a win against Dubuque Hempstead, our girls soccer team will host a meetup with No.7 in Class 3A, Linn Mar, on Tuesday, April 26th. To start off the second half of their season, next month the soccer team will host No. 9 Cedar Falls on May 3rd. With some big games still coming up for the women’s team, the young lineup still has room to improve before the season is over.
