Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

TIFFIN – For as long as Lauren Riggle and Ellen Austin have been putting on shin guards they’ve been teammates.

The Clear Creek Amana duo started playing soccer together before they were in Kindergarten.

That included last season when Austin and Riggle each battled through injury-riddled freshman seasons.

Austin and Riggle are both healthy this season and on Monday the long-time connection between the sophomore teammates provided the difference in a 1-0 win over Grinnell.

Riggle scored the lone goal of the game off an Austin assist in the 36th minute as Clear Creek Amana held off Grinnell (1-1) in a non-conference contest at Clipper Field.

“We have been playing soccer together since we were three or four years old so we can read each other so well,” Riggle said. “We just work together so well.”
Riggle and Austin combined for 14 goals and 12 assist last season while each battling injuries during their debut seasons.

Now fully healthy the duo is a big reason the Clippers are off to a 2-0 start.

Riggle and Austin have combined for four goals and four assists in two games this season with Riggle scoring three goals after Monday’s game-winner.

“Ellen and Lauren are both healthy this year really for the first time,” Clear Creek Amana coach Matt Harding said. “To have them both healthy and back firing is going to be a big boost for us.”

Playing with a strong wind at its back in the opening half Clear Creek Amana controlled possession and consistently created scoring opportunities in the opening minutes on Monday.

The Clippers couldn’t get a shot past Grinnell junior keeper Izzy Redding until Riggle found an opening in the 36th minute.

“We struggled in the first half and I think that’s a game where if a second or third goal goes in we can make it a little easier for ourselves,” Harding said. “We have three games in four days and I would have liked to not had to push our starters so hard but full credit to Grinnell I was so impressed by how well they played together.”

Clear Creek Amana finally broke through when Riggle made a run into the box and Austin founder her with a pass at the top of the box.

Riggle did the rest, slipping a low shot past a diving Reding into the lower left hand corner of the goal.

“It’s kind of weird, we just kind of know where the other one is going to be,” Riggle said. “We will talk or try to make eye contact but it’s almost like we read each other’s minds.”

The Clippers continued to create dangerous opportunities in the second half but failed to add on to their lead.

Junior Carsyn Gallagher had a shot from inside the box stopped by Reding in the 60th minute as the Clippers were stymied in the final 20 yards.

“I think everyone can tell that it gets frustrating,” Gallagher said. “We just have to fix whatever we have to fix but props to their keeper because she was very good.”

Clear Creek Amana came up with its own defensive gem in the final 10 minutes to keep its 1-0 lead intact.

Senior goalkeeper Lillian Hennes raced out to grab a bouncing ball in front of an onrushing Grinnell player with 9:42 left to stop a Tiger scoring opportunity.

“We are a completely different team than we were last year,” Gallagher said. “We have learned to play together so much better and we’ve worked harder than we ever have so it’s really cool that we are pushing each other to do our best.”

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