Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – After opening the season with consecutive shutout losses West High got back on track scoring 19 goals while going 2-0-1 in its next three games.

On Saturday the Trojans got the type of marquee win that can change a season.

West High used a second-half penalty kick goal from junior Alexandria Held to snap a 1-1 tie on its way to a 2-1 win over Class 3A seventh-ranked Bettendorf on a sunny afternoon at Ed Barker Field in Iowa City.

“I’m hoping this gives (us) a little confidence moving forward,” West High coach Zach Serovy said. “I thought that was our best game of the season and I think we’ve continued to build every single game but we’ve set a new standard for ourselves now and hopefully that will give them the confidence moving forward to continue that growth.”

Anna Goska scored in the first half and Held provided the go ahead goal with 14:50 remaining on a penalty kick following a foul in the box.

The win was the third in the past four matches for West High (3-2-1) and first of the season over a ranked opponent for the Trojans who opened the year with top-15 teams Ankeny Centennial and Cedar Falls.

“I think this shows that we can compete with any team in the state,” Goska said. “We were close with all the teams’ we’ve played it just wasn’t our day but this shows how far we can go this season.”

Bettendorf (4-3-1) put pressure on the West High defense for much of the opening 20 minutes but sophomore keeper Lila Eastvold made several key stops to keep the Bulldogs off the board.

West High nearly took the lead twice in the opening 30 minutes but couldn’t convert on a pair of opportunity.

Goska had a shot sail just high from inside the box and another shot ricocheted off the post.

Goska finally found the back of the net with 3:15 remaining in the first half to give West High a halftime lead.

“I saw the defender and I put the ball past her and I knew I could get past her,” Goska said. “When I saw the keeper step out and I knew I could slot it in.”

Goska took possession near midfield and beat several defenders on her way to the box.

She slipped a shot from the right side of the box into the lower left corner of the goal for her sixth score of the season.

“At first I looked for a pass but the more I looked at their defense the more I could see they were breaking down a little,” Goska said. “I thought I could start running.”

Bettendorf pulled even less than 10 minutes into the second half when junior Alivia Snow knocked in a bouncing ball in front of the net with 32:45 remaining.

West High kept the pressure up and eventually got the go-ahead penalty kick from Held following a foul inside the box.

The second goal of the season for Held, both on penalty kicks, proved to be the difference as West High kept Bettendorf off the board for the final 14:50.

“I’ve taken pks thousands of times so it’s always in my head that I have prepared for that momentum so I am staying composed,” Held said. “In my head I know that every time I take it I am going to make it.”

Bettendorf had posted shutouts in five of its seven matches this season before surrendering five to West High.

It was the first goals against a ranked team for the Trojans.

“We are connecting a little better but we then we are also just putting more shots on target and being more efficient with the shots and chances that we do get,” Serovy said. “I think that’s leading to more results for us.”

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