Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

The spots at the boys state tournament are filed after substate finals across the state were completed on Wednesday.

Now the girls take center stage with regional finals in all three classes taking place around the state on Thursday.

The goal for every team that takes the field on Thursday is a spot at the state tournament that runs from May 31 to June 4 at Cownie Soccer Complex in Des Moines.

Here is a quick look at the regional finals featuring teams from the Your Prep Sports area.

Class 3A, Region 6

No. 11 City High (12-3) at No. 4 Waukee Northwest (15-3)

When: Thursday, 6 p.m.

Where: Johnston High School

Top players: Waukee Northwest – Zoey Mahoney Jr., 12 goals, 15 assists. City High – Morgan Turner Sr., 10 goals, 7 assists.

About the Little Hawks: City High enters the regional final one of the hottest teams in Class 3A, winners of eight straight and 11 of its last 12.

Since losses to top-10 teams Muscatine and Pleasant Valley that were part of a 1-2 start to the season the Little Hawks have been dominant with their only setback a 5-3 loss to sixth-ranked Linn-Mar.

City High has outscored opponents 35-3 during its current eight-match winning streak and have scored three or more goals in each of its last six matches.

Balance is the key for the Little Hawks with six players score at least three goals this season.

Look for seniors Morgan Turner (10 goals, 7 assists) and Mia DePrenger (3 goals, 6 assists) to play prominent roles on Thursday as City High attempts to pull the upset.

About the Wolves: Waukee Northwest is seeking to make history with a trip to the state tournament in its first season as a program.

The Wolves don’t look like a new program with players from perennial power Waukee across the lineup.

Waukee Northwest doesn’t have the results of a new team either with four wins over top-10 opponents and its only in-state loss coming to third-ranked Ankeny.

Seven players have scored at least five goals for the Wolves this season led by junior Zoey Mahoney with 12 goals and 15 assists.

Junior Natalie Gallagher has 10 goals and nine assists and junior Anna Coppola has eight goals and five assists.

What to Watch: City High knows what it is like to feel the pressure of being the higher ranked team after hosting a regional semifinal on Tuesday.

Cedar Rapids Kennedy actually struck first on Tuesday as the Little Hawks came out a little tight as the home-field favorite.

The Little Hawks need to apply that same pressure to Waukee Northwest on Thursday.

As the underdogs City High can play freely and the longer the game stays even or City High holds a lead the more the pressure can shift to the favorite.

Class 2A, Region 7  

Clear Creek Amana (10-7) at No. 5 Cedar Rapids Xavier (11-3)

When: Thursday, 6 p.m.

Where: Cedar Rapids Xavier High School

Top players: Clear Creek Amana – Madeline Shade Sr., 19 goals, 3 assists. Cedar Rapids Xavier – Brielle Bastian Sr., 36 goals, 12 assists.

About the Clippers: Clear Creek Amana returns to the regional final once again seeking the first state tournament appearance in program history.

The Clippers went 15-3 last season falling to Dallas Center-Grimes in the regional final.

Clear Creek Amana returned to the regional final with a penalty kick shootout win over Fort Madison in the semifinals.

The Clippers are led by senior Madeline Shade who has scored a team-high 19 goals while sophomore Halle Bormann has nine goals and five assists and sophomore Eva Plathe had eight goals and five assists.

About the Saints: One of the top programs in the state, Cedar Rapids Xavier is seeking a fifth consecutive trip to the state tournament.

The Clippers won the 2A title in 2019 and lost in the 2A quarterfinals to Waverly-Shell Rock last season.

The three losses this season for Cedar Rapids Xavier have all been to ranked teams, to 2A second-ranked Waverly-Shell Rock, 3A No. 11 City High and 3A sixth-ranked Linn-Mar.

Cedar Rapids Xavier has won nine of its last 10 and four straight entering the regional final outscoring opponents by a total of 62 to 9 during that stretch.

The Saints are led by one of the top players in Class 2A in senior Brielle Bastian who ranks sixth in 2A with 36 goals to go with 12 assists.

Bastian has plenty of help in classmates Mary Kate Moeder and Mary Clare Bean.

Moeder has 15 goals and 11 assists and Bean has 12 goals and 10 assists while senior Eden Campbell has 14 assists and four goals.

What to Watch: Clear Creek Amana must find a way to slow Bastian.

The task is certainly easier said than done but goals for the standout senior mean wins for the Saints.

Xavier is 11-0 this season when Bastian scores and 0-3 when the senior standout fails to find the net.

There is certainly other capable Saints but in order to stay in the game it starts with keeping Bastian off the scoreboard.

Class 1A, Region 7  

No. 9 Solon (16-3) at No. 8 Van Meter (10-5)

When: Thursday, 5:30 p.m.

Where: Van Meter High School

Top players: Solon – Morgan Link, Jr., 23 goals, 8 assists. Van Meter – Eden Moore, Soph., 29 goals, 6 assists.

About the Spartans: Solon returns to the regional finals for the second consecutive season this time with its eyes set on the second state tournament appearance in program history and first since 2014.

The Spartans went 14-6 a year ago but fell to eventual champion Davenport Assumption 10-0 in the regional final.

This season the Spartans did their work throughout the regular season to put themselves in a position to win a regional final.

Solon brings a seven-match winning streak into the regional final and all three of its losses this season have come to ranked opponents.

The Spartans have a balanced attack headlined by junior standout Morgan Link who leads the team with 23 goals and eight assists.

Freshman Rose McAtee has 12 goals while sophomore Gabby Knipper had seven goals and six assists.

Senior Alex Locke and freshmen Farrah Hendricks and Addi Greene each have five goals.

About the Bulldogs: Van Meter has followed a similar path to the Region 7 title game as its opponent as the Bulldogs chase their first state tournament trip.

A year ago Van Meter went 13-6 before falling to Gilbert 5-1 in the regional title game.

This season the Bulldogs have been solid from start to finish with a regular season win over seventh-ranked Tri-Center and losses to a pair of ranked teams in ADM and Des Moines Christian as well as Omaha Skutt Catholic.

The Van Meter attack is led by a trio of underclassmen.

Sophomore Eden Moore leads the way with 29 goals while freshman Katie Vaught (14 goals, 4 assists) and Grace Garrison (14 goals, 10 assists) have combined for 28 goals and 14 assists.

What to Watch: Can Solon slow down the Van Meter attack?

When the Bulldogs get rolling offensively, they really create problems.

In 10 wins this season Van Meter has scored 74 goals, in its five losses the Bulldogs have only scored four times.

Van Meter has been explosive in the postseason, scoring 21 goals in two matches.

The matchup to watch on Thursday is the explosive scoring threats for Van Meter up top against an experience Solon back line.

Senior Alex Locke, juniors Maria Milliman and Izzy Paisley and freshman Valerie Miller have been exceptional in the back of late helping Solon post seven consecutive shutouts.

The Spartans have allowed just six goals all season while posting shutouts in 15 of 19 matches.

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