Cardinals upend Lady Dutch for Region 5 title

Standing on her line in the goal, Newton High senior goalkeeper Ashlee Freese knew what she had to do to send the Cardinals to their second straight Iowa Class 2A state girls’ soccer tournament. It came down to penalty kicks following 80 minutes of regulation playing time and two 10-minute overtime periods.

Freese faced 2A top-ranked Pella’s leading scorer sophomore Grace Held on the first penalty kick. Freese shut Held out throughout the game. She deflected Held’s penalty kick attempt.

“I had confidence in my teammates hitting their penalty kicks. I practice with them kicking at me, so I was ready,” Freese said after Newton won the shootout — 3-1 — to claim a 2-1 victory over Pella.

The Cardinals finally broke through to defeat the Lady Dutch. This win earned Newton the Class 2A Region 5 championship and a berth in the 2A state tournament later in the week.

Freese denied Held, senior Katie Vander Molen and senior Ciara Buchheit from hitting penalty kick opportunities in the shootout. Sophomore Caroline Bradley did find the net, but it didn’t matter because Newton’s kickers didn’t miss.

Senior Ryanne Rausch, sophomore Peyton Maher and junior Anna Forsythe buried the ball in the back of the net past Pella sophomore goalkeeper Chloe Griffin. Griffin had only given up nine goals all season — 10 counting Rausch’s first-half goal on Monday.

“After I stopped the first of their PKs, I knew it was our game,” Freese said. “I practice against our girls. I knew they could hit their shots. They just made me better at my job. This is so amazing to go back to state. I’m so happy.”

According to Freese, Rausch and the other seniors on the Cardinal squad — Morgan Allen, Taylor Shipley and Courtney Jacobsen — Monday’s victory over the Lady Dutch was a first for them.

“We seniors have never beaten Pella in any sport during hight school,” Jacobsen said. “Beating Pella — the top-ranked team in the state — to go to state is tremendous.”

Jacobsen, who was next in line for Newton in the shootout, said the team practices penalty kicks all the time. She said they were confident in Freese.

“She’s very experienced in the goal. We were just ready and confident coming into this game,” Jacobsen said.

Rausch put the Cardinals in charge quickly in the game. Freese sent a goal kick deep into the Pella end of the field. Rausch was off to the races to get a shot off.

“I knew we weren’t going to have many chances with their top defender in the back. I saw the opening and I kept going to get to the ball and score,” Rausch said.

Newton went up 1-0 three minutes into the game. The Cardinals held their 1-0 lead at halftime despite the Lady Dutch peppering Freese with shots on goal.

Pella came out of the break strong and continued to fire away at the Newton goalkeeper. Unofficially, Freese had 15 saves in the 100 minutes of play.

The Lady Dutch finally got one past Freese at the 25:56 mark of the second half. Junior Maddie Canfield scored to make it 1-1.

Newton had several scoring opportunities in the second half and the two overtime periods. Pella’s Griffin made the saves to keep it tied.

In the shootout, there was no stopping the Newton kickers. The Cardinals knew they were up 3-1 when Buchheit went up to kick for Pella. Freese made a diving stop to her left and the celebration began.

“We knew we had a chance to beat them. They only beat us 1-0 in overtime earlier this season,” Rausch said. “We just kept playing through it. As for the PK, I just try to stay calm, cool and collected. In practices, Ashlee has been stopping my shots. We knew we had this.”

Newton returns to the 2A state tournament after earning its first-ever trip a year ago. The Cardinals lost 4-1 to Pella in the first round a year ago.

“To finally get the win against Pella — the No. 1 team in the state currently — is awesome. I had the utmost confidence in Ashlee. We practice this situation every day. I knew my teammates could get it in the goal,” Shipley, who was the No. 5 kicker if needed in the shootout, said.

Allen was standing with the rest of the Cardinals watching Freese do her job during the shootout.

“It was incredible when she made that final save. This whole morning I already felt we were going to win this game, but when it happened tonight — wow — it’s amazing,” Allen said. “I couldn’t be happier how we played, and coming together to beat the No. 1 team.”

Newton head coach Abby Lamont and assistant coach Mallory Sturtz received a cold, ice water bath from their players following the win.

“Coach Sturtz and I really spent this past week building on the mental aspect of the game. I told our girls we can beat Pella. During the season it was a 1-0 game in overtime, I told our girls we’re one of the top teams too,” Lamont said.

Lamont said the team practiced with a purpose all week and it paid off on Monday night on Pella’s field.

“Our girls came ready to play. When it went to PKs, we were prepared. Ashlee is super talented and we have five shooters I know can drain PKs,” Lamont said. “We practiced it this week, because I had a feeling it might come down to penalty kicks.”

A couple hours after Newton celebrated its Region 5 title at Pella, the Class 2A state tournament pairings were released. The Cardinals (13-4) are the No. 8 seeded team and will play top-seeded Lewis Central (16-3) of Council Bluffs at 2:30 p.m. Thursday.

The Iowa girls’ state soccer tournaments run Thursday through Saturday at Cownie Soccer Park in Des Moines. The state tournament is a single-elimination event.

“For some many years, Newton was so close to going to state and now, we’re going our second straight year,” Lamont said. “These girls are a talented bunch and they work really hard. I’m proud of what they have accomplished this season and we have more work to do.”

There will be a state send off for the soccer team at 11 a.m. Thursday starting at H.A. Lynn Stadium.

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