Cardinal soccer players earn LHC honors

Newton’s Cardinal soccer teams each racked up four wins in Little Hawkeye Conference play. The NHS teams both finished with winning overall records for the 2014 season.

Recently, the Little Hawkeye Conference coaches named the 2014 All-LHC soccer teams. Nine Newton girls received honors and six Newton boys earned conference recognition.

Senior forward Amber Karsten led the Newton girls with 21 goals, which was third in the LHC and 10th in Class 2A. Karsten, junior sweeper Michaela Jacobsen and sophomore midfielder Victoria Jordan were named to the All-Little Hawkeye Conference first team. Karsten also had six assists. Jordan scored nine goals and made seven assists. Jacobsen even had a goal for the Cardinals.

Karsten and Jacobson also earned Class 2A Central District second-team honors.

Newton’s girls finished 13-4 overall, losing to 10th ranked Pella in a 1-0 storm-shortened  regional semifinal game. The Cardinal girls ended the season ranked 13th in Class 2A. They were 4-2 in LHC play.

Karsten recorded the hat trick — scoring three goals in a game — in three different games this season. Against Oskaloosa on May 13, the Cardinals won 3-1 on her three goals. Jordan had a hat trick in Newton’s 5-1 win over Perry on May 2.

Earning second-team honors were senior goalkeeper Emily Forsyth, sophomores Hannah Rhoads and Alex Hutchinson and freshman Ryanne Rausch. Juniors Macy Leonard and Anna Barr garnered league honorable mention.

Forsyth finished her fourth straight season in goal for the Cardinals with 82 saves. She allowed 13 goals. Rausch, a forward, was second on the team in scoring with 11 goals and 11 assists. Rhoads, a midfelder, scored three goals and made eight assists. Hutchinson, a defender, had one assist.

Barr, a midfielder, found the net twice for the Newton girls and dished out five assists on goals. Leonard, a stopper, scored a goal.

Four Newton boys landed on the All-Little Hawkeye Conference second team. Senior midfielder Chandler Sturtz and junior midfielder Mike McCormick along with freshman forward Josh Ventling and freshman defender Jordan Norvell.

Ventling led the Cardinals with 14 goals, which put him tied for 10th in Class 2A, and he had three assists. McCormick topped the team in assists with 13, tying for fifth in that category in Class 2A. McCormick scored four times.

Sturtz, who earned the team’s MVP award, scored six times and had two assists. Ventling was named the team’s rookie of the year.

Senior Nathan Moorman, who scored three goals against Prairie City-Monroe on May 8, earned honorable mention. Moorman was second on the team in scoring with 10 goals and had two assists. Sophomore Dalton Nevels garnered honorable mention.

Newton’s boys finished 4-3 in the conference and 10-8 overall. They scored 38 goals, allowed 29 goals and recorded six shutouts.

Other team awards were Nevels for the most improved player; best offensive players were Moorman and Ventling; best defensive players were Norvell and senior Colton Hansen; Will To Win athletes were Sturtz and McCormick.