Bell Comes Up Big as City High Downs No. 14 West High in Cross-town Match
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
IOWA CITY – Big moments offer any player an opportunity to step into the spotlight and become a star.
When the annual cross-town contest between City High and West High presented that stage for Ava Bell on Thursday the City High sophomore was ready to seize it.
Bell scored a pair of goals as the Little Hawks snapped a two-game losing skid to West High with a 3-0 win in a Mississippi Valley Conference cross-divisional match on a blustery afternoon at City High.
“With this game with all the intensity and against our rivals I felt like this was my game to show that I was capable of scoring goals,” Bell said. “Last year I scored a few but it wasn’t like goal after goal.”
The two goals for Bell on Thursday doubled her career scoring total and gave City High its first win over the Trojans since April 9 of 2019.
Bell scored goals in the 15th and 47th minute and Claire Brown added a goal as City High scored more than two goals for the first time this season.
“We know that she is capable of that,” City High coach Corbin Schulz said. “We know that she can make plays and it was exciting to see her do that in a big game.”
The win was the second straight for City High (3-2) which lost 1-0 to West High last season.
Class 3A No. 14 West High dropped to 2-2 with the loss.
“Walking into it I think both teams know it’s not even the better team that wins this game it’s always the team that wants it more,” Brown said. “From last year walking away with a 1-0 loss in the last few minutes really gave us the mindset that we had to win this year.”
The last three matches between the two rivals had all been decided by a single goal.
On Thursday with a constant cross wind of more than 40 miles per hour wreaking havoc City High took control early and never let West High get back into the match.
Bell gave the Little Hawks the early momentum with a goal less than 15 minutes into the match.
“The intensity after scoring that goal just went all the way up,” Bell said. “After that we knew we were capable of winning this game.”
Both teams had opportunities early with West High sailing a shot just high from inside 25 yards.
Bell gave City High the early lead and flipped all the momentum to the home team.
“It just seemed like we had an advantage on our home field, the girls were really, really pumped up and ready to play,” Schulz said. “In this game it’s who wants it more it’s no necessarily who is the best team.”
Bell lofted a shot over the head of West High keeper Raina Pfeifer from 30 yards out in the 15th minute for an early 1-0 lead.
“I just tried to hit it as hard as I could and as I was watching it I didn’t know if it was going in, when it went in I was so confused,” Bell said. “I was like, ‘did that just happen’?”
Brown made it a 2-0 City High lead at the half when she knocked in a goal with 5:36 left in the opening half.
Morgan Turner sent a bouncing ball toward the far post from outside the box and Pfeifer attempted to make a save but Brown beat the keeper to a bouncing ball just in front of the end line and redirected it in for a 2-0 lead.
“I know I just have to get a touch on it,” Brown said. “No matter what part of my body it is I just need to get a touch on it and make sure it goes in the goal.”
It was all City High the rest of the way.
Bell put the finishing touches on the win when she poked in a shot from straight in the front of the goal with 33:47 remaining.
“We talk to our midfielders about when they have the opportunity they need to take the shot,” Brown said. “I think today Ava stepping up and doing it was just phenomenal especially since it was West. That just made a huge difference.”
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