J-Hawks upend No. 10 Cardinals

Ashlee Freese and Newton High’s defenders were under constant pressure from the opening kick off of Tuesday’s Iowa Class 2A Region 4 semifinal. Urbandale’s J-Hawks seemed to be on a mission.

Freese, Newton’s sophomore goalkeeper, made save after save until the the 10:26 mark of the first half. She came out of the goal box after the ball. The J-Hawks made a crossing pass in front of the goal and their leading scorer, Mallary Erbes kicked the ball in the net on the back side.

Urbandale led 1-0 at halftime.

As the J-Hawks kept up their offensive assault, they took the 10th-ranked Cardinals out of their game. The Cardinals were playing on their heels most of the game and in their half of the field most of the contest.

Urbandale’s Ally Richards delivered a goal with 34:14 left in the second half. Newton mounted a couple of attacks late in the game, but could not find the net.

“The girls played a tough game against a very fast and skilled Urbandale team,” said first-year head coach Abby Lamont, following the Cardinal loss. “The girls should be very proud of the season they’ve had.”

The Cardinals ended up with 13 shots on goal. Freese was credited with 25 saves against Urbandale. Newton had six corner-kick opportunities and four direct kicks in the game.

“The girls have worked hard, had some great accomplishments and built a great team,” Lamont said. “This group of young ladies has been an outstanding group to coach. I’m proud of their play and their work ethic, but most I’m proud of who they are as young women.”

The Cardinals finished the season at 13-5. Urbandale (8-11) advances to the regional final Monday at Waverly against Waverly-Shell Rock, which beat Boone 12-0 Tuesday.

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
641-792-3121 ext. 6535 or jsheets@newtondailynews.com