The 2021 Your Prep Sports Area Girls Soccer Team
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
After a one-year hiatus caused by the global coronavirus pandemic high school soccer returned to Iowa this spring.
With the return of soccer comes the return of the annual Your Prep Sports girls soccer team. The Your Prep Sports area team honors the top players in the area for their performance this season and this year’s team features players from six different area teams.
The fourth edition of the Your Prep Sports girls soccer team is filled with all-conference and all-state players, college recruits and up and coming stars.
Clear Creek Amana senior Lauren Riggle is the captain of the 2021 Your Prep Sports area girls soccer team after scoring 26 goals while leading the Clippers to their first ever WAMAC Conference title and a spot in a Class 2A regional Final.
*Lauren Riggle
Senior, Clear Creek Amana
One of the most decorated players in program history Riggle scored 55 career goals and added 34 assists in three season and was twice a first-team all-state selection.
Riggle scored double digit goals in all three prep seasons but was at her best as a senior ranking 13th in Class 2A with 26 goals and adding 11 assists.
A Loras College recruit, Riggle was named WAMAC West Division player of the year and was a first-team all-state pick by the Iowa High School Soccer Coaches Association.
Makenna Vonderhaar
Junior, West High
One of the most exciting players anywhere in the state Vonderhaar displayed what makes her so fun to watch this season leading West High in goals and assists while helping the Trojans advance to a Class 3A regional final.
An Iowa recruit, Vonderhaar scored 15 goals and added nine assists in 15 matches while earning second-team all-state honors from the Iowa Girls Coaches Association.
Grace Gaarde
Sophomore, Regina
Gaarde scored three goals in her varsity debut and never slowed down ranking ninth in Class 1A this season with 29 goals.
A dynamic forward, Gaarde had a goal in 13 of 17 matches this season and had two or more goals seven times while helping Regina to a 9-8 record and a spot in a 1A regional final.
Gaarde also ranked second on the team with five assists.
Elise Hermiston
Senior, Liberty High
One of the stalwarts of the Liberty High program since its start in 2018 Hermiston capped a strong career with a stellar senior season.
Hermiston led the Lightning in assists for the third consecutive with 12 and scored a career-high seven goals helping the Lightning to the best season in program history with 11 wins and a spot in the 2A regional final.
A Cornell College recruit, Hermiston earned second team all-state honors from the Iowa Girls Coaches Association and was a first-team all-Mississippi Division pick in the Mississippi Valley Conference.
Callie Menzel
Senior, City High
A starter since her freshman season Menzel was a leader on and off the field for City High helping the Little Hawks to a 9-5 record.
Menzel scored three goals and added two assists while earning first team all-MVC Mississippi Division honors and will play collegiately at Winona State.
Ellen Austin
Senior, Clear Creek Amana
A big reason for the goal scoring success of team Lauren Riggle has been the playmaking ability of Austin from her spot in the midfield.
Austin enjoyed the best season of her career this spring ranking fifth in 2A with 20 assists while earning first team all-state honors from the Iowa Girls Coaches Association.
In three prep seasons Austin posted 40 assists and added 24 goals, matching her career high with 10 goals this season.
Morgan Link
Sophomore, Solon
In her first season of varsity soccer Link turned into a go-to scorer and top-notch playmaker while helping Solon to a 14-6 record and a spot in the Class 1A regional finals.
Link earned first-team all-WAMAC East Division honors after scoring a team-high 25 goals and leading the Spartans with five assists.
Claire Brown
Sophomore, City High
The global pandemic caused the cancellation of spring spots a year ago and delayed the debut for Brown who burst onto the scene this spring as a sophomore.
A dynamic athlete, Brown earned first-team all-MVC Mississippi Division honors after leading City High with 12 goals and seven assists in just 14 matches in her first taste of varsity soccer.
Peyton Grafft
Senior, Clear Creek Amana
Teammates Ellen Austin and Lauren Riggle may have gotten the goals and most of the glory that comes along with them but Grafft was a huge reason the Clippers enjoyed one of the best seasons in school history.
A first team all-state pick by the Iowa Girls Coaches Association Grafft was a leader in the Clear Creek Amana back end helping the Clippers to a 15-3 record and the first WAMAC conference title in program history.
Grace Heddens
Junior, Liberty High
After leading the Lightning in goals as a freshman in 2019 Heddens had her breakthrough season this spring.
Heddens earned first-team all-MVC Mississippi Division after scoring a career-high 18 goals in 18 matches and helping the Lightning reach the Class 2A regional finals for the first time in program history.
Mia DePrenger
Junior, City High
Another Little Hawk to be selection to the MVC Mississippi Division first team, DePrenger continued to be a threat that opposing defenders had to pay attention to this season.
The speedy forward scored two goals and had an assists in 11 matches helping the Little Hawks to a 9-5 mark.
Jada Dachtler
Junior, West High
Like classmates Makenna Vonderhaar and Kenadee Showalter, Dachtler used the experience of playing two years ago as a freshman to take a major step forward in 2021.
Dachtler was a first-team all-MVC Valley Division selection after scoring a career-high six goals and adding three assists from her midfield spot.
Julia Bernat
Senior, West High
A three-year starter in goal for the Trojans Bernat enjoyed the best season of her career as a senior helping West High to a 12-5 record, it’s highest win total since 2017.
Bernat made 157 saves and allowed just 18 goals while being named to the Mississippi Valley Conference Valley Division first team.
* – Denotes Team Captain
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