GIRLS SOCCER: Trojans shutout at Harlan 3-0, eliminated from playoffs

Harlan advances to face Bondurant-Farrar in 1A Regional Final

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor / May 31, 2013

HARLAN – Following bouts of high-pressure but an ultimately unproductive first half Friday, Harlan broke loose with three second-half scores that would lift them past Atlantic and into a Regional final.

HCHS’ junior Sidney Mills broke the ice off a free kick at the 46-minute mark for the first of her two goals on the night, and senior Cheryl Kleffman would tack on another goal off a penalty kick as the Cyclones defeated the Trojans 3-0 in second-round playoff action.

“We came in tonight with nothing to lose, and everything to win, we were the underdog,” Atlantic coach Joanne Sandage said afterwards. “It was not the result we had hoped for, but I felt we played pretty well, and I am proud of the way our girls competed.”

Harlan’s 3-0 win marks the second victory over Atlantic in five weeks, having defeated them 1-0 on the same field during Hawkeye 10 Conference play on April 26.

On Friday night, with a shot at the Class 1A Region 3 Final in tow, Harlan simply proved to have more horsepower.

The Cyclones spent the majority of the first half on the attack, hammering away with 24 shots, though just six of those went on target as Atlantic’s defensive tact forced Harlan into rushing things.

Atlantic paid special attention to Harlan’s top two goal scorers, Ana Petersen and Cheryl Kleffman, who have combined for 16 goals in 17 matches. The Trojans stuck ReAnn Cappel on Petersen and Diana Perkins on Kleffman as the senior defenders effectively shadowed HCHS’ top two offensive threats.

“The plan was ReAnn would mark up on (Petersen) and Diana would mark up on (Kleffman), and then our middle mids would cover the remaining girls. It worked well at times, we kept them frustrated.”

With Petersen and Kleffman kept at arm’s length, Harlan had to find other ways to hurt Atlantic.

“They stuck one girl on them at all times, and everybody else fills,” HCHS coach Jared Boysen said of the Trojans’ defensive effort. “Whenever they dribbled, there is somebody else right on them. (Petersen and Kleffman) had a tough time.”

Harlan held Atlantic without a shot in the first half, and left half a dozen scoring opportunities on the table through the first 40 minutes, leaving the heavily-favored Cyclones frustrated at the break.

“It kind of felt like the last time we played (Atlantic),” coach Boysen said. “They play good defense, and we were getting our shots, they just weren’t getting on goal. There was a little bit of anxiety in the first half.”

In the second 40 minutes, Harlan turned around and went against a stiff wind, but it proved not to matter much.

Mills scored 7:29 into the second half after knocking a free kick past Atlantic goalkeeper Maren McNees, and Harlan would go ahead by two scores four minutes later when Kleffman converted on a penalty kick.

Coach Boysen says his squad just kept their cool and kept sawing wood despite the frustrations of the first half.

“We started crossing it a little better and getting it on the backside,” he said.

With 2:17 remaining, Harlan would add a third score when Mills buried a goal off a centering pass from Petersen as Petersen collected her own rebound off a PK.

HCHS would finish with 37 shots, 14 of them on target, and 19 shots handled by McNees.

The Cyclones (11-7) will advance to play No. 10-ranked Bondurant-Farrar (9-7) on Monday in Bondurant for a shot at a State Tournament berth.

Atlantic hangs it up with a 4-13 record, and bids farewell to three senior captains, who have made up the defensive corps of the team for several years now. The program will look to rebuild after the loss of Cappel, Perkins, and Ali Hosfelt.

“We improved quite a bit, so it makes it hard when the girls have practiced and worked as they did…they wanted this so badly,” coach Sandage says. “It’s a difficult loss.”

Game Scoring (05/31)

HCHS (46:31) – Sidney Mills, 1-0

HCHS (50:55) – Cheryl Kleffman, 2-0

HCHS (77:43) – Sidney Mills, 3-0

GIRLS SOCCER: Atlantic gets past Creston 1-0, advances to face Harlan

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor / May 29, 2013

ATLANTIC – Trojans’ junior forward Emily Mitchell placed a well struck ball off a free kick above a wall of Creston defenders and into the top left corner of the Panthers’ net a little more than three minutes into the second half Tuesday night at AHS.

That goal would prove decisive, as Atlantic would hold on for a 1-0 win over Creston, and advance along the IGHSAU Regional Tournament playoffs to face Harlan Friday night at Merrill Field.

Atlantic held the upper hand the majority of the 80 minutes against the winless Panthers, and afterwards Trojans’ coach Joanne Sandage praised the effort as the team pocketed its most important win yet this season.

“Our girls played hard and we controlled the ball,” coach Sandage said. “They came out like they really wanted to win this game, and it showed. I really liked the effort…the girls want to push this, because now it’s a whole new season.”

Mitchell’s goal at the 44-minute mark broke a scoreless deadlock, and injected a bit of energy into Atlantic as the team worked to notch another score.

“Emily’s shot was perfect,” coach Sandage says. “That’s exactly how you want to do it. But I’m happy with the way we didn’t just sit back and rest with the lead. We kept working to get another (goal).”

The Trojans displayed better ball control than did Creston, and was able to control the middle of the pitch as Atlantic’s defense proved stout and fed the transition.

Senior captain Diana Perkins led the team with four steals and eight interceptions while Creston managed just two shots on target for the entire match.

The victory is the second over Creston this season for Atlantic, both of them coming via a 1-0 final score.

“We talked about the need to win the 50-50 balls,” coach Sandage said. “Last time we faced Creston, we won, but I feel we didn’t win those 50-50s. We did that tonight.”

Atlantic dictated the attack by moving the ball to the outside corner, and crossing it back to the center as Creston neglected to cover the outside. Atlantic threaded the ball through those open lanes to create scoring chances.

Advancing to face Harlan Friday night, the Trojans will need to step things up another notch if they want a serious shot of downing the 10-7 Cyclones. In their only previous meeting this season, Harlan at home edged Atlantic 1-0 on April 26.

Coach Sandage says the team will need to work on its ball control, and find ways to generate more offense, certainly more than the six shots they put up in defeating Creston.

“Harlan has a good team, and (Ana) Petersen is a fine player,” coach Sandage says. “They are fast, and we are going to have to figure out some ways to slow them down. We are going to have to regroup and come up with a game plan. Our girls want a second chance at Harlan.”

BASEBALL: Miscues prove costly for Atlantic in season-opening loss to CBAL

Atlantic commits six errors and surrenders four unearned runs in 7-4 defeat

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor / May 22, 2013

ATLANTIC – Six errors and nine stranded base runners spoiled the 2013 opener for the Trojans Tuesday night, as a stack of missteps allowed Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln to pack up and leave town with a 7-4 victory.

As the Trojans took the field for the first time after losing seven of its nine starters from a season ago, the new group of varsity starters simply left too much on the table and didn’t take advantage of the opportunities afforded them.

“It’s inexperience,” Trojans coach Trace Petersen said afterwards. “We are replacing seven starters, and a lot of these guys need to learn to get caught up to the speed of the game. Both in practice and in games, we need to see steady improvement.” 

AL plated one unearned run in the first inning, then added three more in the third as Trojan errors allowed the Lynx to rally.

Sophomore right-hander Tristen Benn made the start, and pitched effectively for the most part. But the defense behind him was shaky, and let him down on several occasions.

He threw four innings, allowed four hits, two earned runs, walked one, and struck out four.

“Tristen threw strikes, changed speeds and kept the ball down,” coach Petersen says. “But he didn’t get any help behind him.”

Benn was relieved by senior Chad Christensen in the fifth inning. Christensen threw two innings, allowed one earned run on two hits, walked one and struck out one. In the seventh inning, Zach Nelson closed out the game and didn’t allow a hit, but two errors yielded an unearned run, keeping in theme the defensive letdowns for all three hurlers.

“The pitchers did their part, they threw strikes and they didn’t get hurt by (AL) hitting the baseball,” coach Petersen says. “But our defense was bad, six errors and you are never going to win any ballgames.”

Atlantic got on the board in the fourth inning when Dalton Franken led off with a single, and eventually scored on a wild pitch. The Trojans scored one more run in the fifth when Franken drove in Zach Nelson on a groundout, and Atlantic plated two runs in the bottom of the seventh.

Nelson, hitting in the No. 2 spot, finished the game 2-for-2 with two runs scored, a pair of walks and two stolen bases. Franken, Brody Peterson and Benn also collected hits for the Trojans in the loss.

Atlantic left nine men stranded on the base paths, and left them loaded in the first and the fourth innings, as missed opportunities proved costly.

“We need to get hits when we need them,” coach Petersen says. “We probably only hit two or three balls hard all night.”

With so many positions to fill, Atlantic’s lineup will very much be a work in progress, as coach Petersen expects to experiment heavily and move pieces in-and-out, especially early on.

“We need to find guys who are able to make basic, routine plays, and also get them at-bats,” coach Petersen says. “We’ve got 12 or 13 guys who need to get at-bats. It’s going to be something we are going to look at. We’ve got enough depth, that if plan A doesn’t work out one night, we can go to plan B.”

Atlantic (0-1) returns to action Thursday with a trip to Adel to face ADM, then returns home Friday to face Carroll to close out the first week.

BOYS SOCCER: Seeing-eye goal lifts Des Moines Christian past Atlantic, 1-0

DM Christian advances to face WCV-Stuart; Trojans hang it up at 7-8

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor / May 22, 2013

ATLANTIC – Whether it comes on the heels of blind luck or some incredibly skillful precision, Des Moines Christian is advancing along the tournament trail.
The Lions broke a scoreless stalemate with 13 minutes left in regulation Wednesday night when senior midfielder Travis Manderfield lofted a perfectly placed ball into the top left corner of the Trojans’ net, scoring the eventual game-winner and driving DMC along to a 1-0 playoff victory at AHS.
Manderfield moved along the edge of the 18-yard box before heaving a cross towards the crowd in front of the Trojans’ goal. Somehow, it found its way into the net, over the reach of Atlantic’s defenders and goalkeeper JT Baker, marking the game’s only score on a seemingly unstoppable ball.
“It hit just right, it was one of those things you can’t really defend against,” Atlantic coach Justin Williams said afterwards. “It was a lofted-up cross, and it landed just perfectly for them.”
Manderfield’s goal was the decisive factor in a physical match filled with pressure on both sides of the pitch.
Atlantic was slow to warm and was out-played for a good part of the first half before nerves started to subside and the Trojans starting playing their team game.
“You could tell the kids were anxious, and they were over-thinking everything,” coach Williams says of his team. “By about the 25th minute, we were in a better spot after we settled down.”
Scoreless at the break, Atlantic started taking the attack to DMC in the second half, though scoring chances weren’t completed as shots flew high and wide.
The misty rain that began to fall at the start of the match lifted in the second 40 minutes, but pitch proved soggy, and the physical style the Trojans brought began to take effect.
DMC displayed a capable first touch on the ball, but the Trojans collapsed on the passing lanes and played the body as the match grew tighter and tighter.
With 13:46 remaining, DMC midfielder Peprah Danquah was issued a yellow card after a hard foul on Atlantic’s Harrison Hoegh, and Danquah was sent to the bench for 10 minutes.
It appeared the Trojans’ might seize upon that hole in the lineup and start to build momentum. However, 29 seconds later, Manderfield’s goal struck from the outside, and Atlantic was left to chase to notch the equalizer.
The Trojans turned up the pressure in the final moments, but could not set up a quality scoring chance.
It proved a bitter pill to swallow for the first Trojans Soccer team to finish the regular season without a losing record.  Atlantic finishes 7-8 overall with the playoff loss.
“It’s tough, because in my opinion, I don’t feel the better team won tonight,” coach Williams says. “It came down to one small mistake, but then again, not really. It was just a freak thing.”
“It’s heartbreaking to see these seniors go out like this.”
Atlantic sophomore Matt Smith tallied four shots and one on goal, and both Harrison Hoegh and Ryan Hawkins also put shots on net.
In net, Baker finished with 16 saves.
Des Moines Christian advances to face West Central Valley on Saturday in the Class 1A Substate 7 final.
Wednesday marks the end of the most successful Trojans Soccer season to date, an improvement from the 6-9 record from last year, and 5-12 mark in 2011.
Coach Williams says the foundation has been laid for the program to continue its upward trend.
“We have some guys coming back who I expect will take this seriously over the summer, and put in the time and make themselves better,” he said. “Some of these guys, you can tell soccer is their sport, and they will be up here playing soccer all summer long. They are making a decision to make us more competitive.”

STATE TRACK: Faces change, but Griswold remains on top of 1A as girls win third straight championship

Tigers jump from fifth place to first with final push Saturday

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor / May 18, 2013

DES MOINES – If success breeds more success, the Griswold girls might be getting used to prosperity.

On Saturday, the Tigers put the finishing touches on their third straight Class 1A State Track championship, hammering down a cap on an incredibly successful school year that began last fall with a trek to the community’s first-ever State title in Cross-Country.

Over the weekend in Des Moines, much of that same group of girls overcame a trove of adversity to fend off six other challengers and keep the 1A title in Griswold.

“Back-to-back-to-back, it’s pretty incredible,” Griswold girls Track coach Andy Everett says. “That’s a special deal.”

The Tigers finished with 45 total points, six more than runner-up West Hancock, and eight better than both Sibley-Ocheyedan and Belle Plaine, who each tallied 37 points to finish tied for third.

Sophomore Rebekah Topham restored order by winning both of her individual races for the day, seizing championships in the 800-meter (2:15.28) and the 1500-meter (4:42.35) to score 20 valuable points for the Tigers.

With the two second-place finishes she already had to her credit (the 3000M and the 400M Hurdles), Topham now has five individual State titles and three runners-up through a decorated and brief two-year career.

Topham accounted for 36 of the Tigers’ 45 points, but she alone did not win the team title. 

Senior Jordyn Sindt surpassed expectations to finish third behind Topham in the 800M (2:21.44) to add to the eighth place medal she won Friday in the 400-meter hurdles. 

Moreover, the Shuttle Hurdle Relay squad of Kinzy Nicklaus, Justine Freund, Jeana Freund and Trisha Huerta rose up to claim seventh place (1:10.9) in the finals of that event Saturday, and notch a valuable two points for the group effort.

That event was one of those variables the Tigers needed to have if they wanted to secure the three-peat, and coach Everett heaped praise on the foursome after their gutsy performance.

“Our Shuttle Hurdle team has been good all year, but on paper they should not have made the finals,” coach Everett says. “We ran well, reached the finals, and those two points were very, very important.”

The two points from the Shuttle Hurdles, as well as Sindt’s seven points earned in the 800M and 400M Hurdles might have provided the wedge that allowed Griswold to move from fifth place to first by day’s end Saturday.

“The competition this year was fantastic,” coach Everett said. “So many other different things could have happened (that would resulted in) about six other teams finishing as State champion. But things ended up falling our way.

“We brought 15 girls here for 14 events, and you never know who might sneak up and score some points for you. You don’t know for sure who might put you over the top. You can analyze times and Quikstats over and over and over again, but you never know how it is going to fall. We made our decisions, and it worked out well.”

Saturday marked the third straight State championship for the girls, and fourth for the runners if you count the cross-country title.

This campaign was waged differently, especially on account of the irrational spring weather this year that cancelled about half of the Tigers’ meets. 

And although the faces might change and the methods of achieving the victories vary, the work ethic in Griswold remains the same.

“Every year it was won differently because each team is made up of different people,” said senior Larissa Backhaus, whose hands have helped raise the team trophy all three times. “But other people keep coming up and they continue working just as hard as the girls before them. It’s exciting to be known as a town of runners.”

Snow falling into May moved many of the Tigers workouts indoors this spring, and those sessions in the gym proved to be no picnic. Also, the program had to do without the services of sophomore Alyx Flippin, who played a pivotal role in last year’s track title as well as the cross-country championship, as Flippin has fought mononucleosis and was unable to compete.

Topham, the group’s leader, fought her way through a trying season where she battled a viral illness that deprived her of oxygen and fatigued her. 

Then, she tweaked a hamstring a week before the State Meet that limited her ability to practice the hurdles.

Holding on to the trophy as Drake Stadium emptied out, Topham reflected on the journey.

“It’s hard to put into words,” she said. “I’ve been sick for a while, and maybe last season was more exciting…I don’t know. But this certainly is rewarding.”

GIRLS SOCCER: Trojans trending upwards as postseason nears

Atlantic shuts out Riverside 1-0, picks up third win in last four matches 

By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor / May 14, 2013

ATLANTIC – Atlantic picked up its third victory in its last four matches Monday night, blanking Oakland Riverside 1-0.

Emily Mitchell scored 12 minutes in, knocking home a goal off an assist from Madison Helvie, and the Trojans held on the rest of the way for the one-goal victory.

The win pushes Atlantic’s record to 3-9, and puts them on better footing in the second half of the season after an 0-8 start that saw the team outscored 37-4 against five ranked teams.

“It was a good victory,” Trojans coach Joanne Sandage said. “We talked about the need to win the games we can, and we have let a couple slip through. Tonight, we closed out a win that we needed to have, and we finished strong.”

Atlantic put up 16 shots in the victory, 12 of them coming in the first half with a stiff wind at their backs. Riverside finished with 10 shots total for the match.

“We moved and possessed the ball better, and our offense is starting to click,” coach Sandage says. “We controlled the ball very well, and that was a positive.”

Atlantic has made tactical adjustments to its formations in the last two weeks, switching from four defenders to a diamond midfield, which allows senior fullback and captain ReAnn Cappel to be better utilized up-field, and feed the offense, says Sandage.

“She handles the ball very well, and she shoots very well,” coach Sandage says of Cappel. “When we are facing teams without as much speed, we like to keep her in the back because she is so quick. But the last few games, we’ve moved her up, and it’s making our offense better.”

In goal, junior keeper Maren McNees notched her third shutout victory of the season, making some big stops in the second half as Riverside pounded the net in a frantic five minutes.

“Maren had some nice, key saves when it really counted,” coach Sandage says of McNees. “She played a smart game.”
Atlantic has three matches remaining on the schedule before IGHSAU Regional playoffs begin on Tuesday, May 28, when Creston comes to AHS for opening round action. The Trojans defeated the Panthers 1-0 in their previous meeting on May 7.

After the difficult first part of the season, Atlantic looks to close the schedule out strong and hopefully ride a wave of momentum into the postseason.

“We had a tough schedule to start,” coach Sandage says. “But it was good, because playing that kind of competition made us better. Now, we are playing teams we can compete with, and we are playing well.”

BOYS SOCCER: Trojans overpower Underwood 4-1, push record to 7-6

UNDERWOOD – The Trojans were able to quickly turn the page on last Saturday’s disappointing 5-0 loss to Carroll Kuemper, taking the pitch Monday night and working their way to a convincing 4-1 win over Underwood.

Sophomore Matt Smith scored twice, and other goals came from Michael Thomsen and Harrison Hoegh as the Trojans grabbed an early lead and never trailed.

The victory pushes Atlantic to 7-6 on the season, and marks the most wins ever in a season for the Atlantic boys soccer program, with one regular season match remaining (Thursday at Creston). Creston brings in a similar record at 7-5, and is coming off a 4-2 loss Monday at Harlan.

Atlantic received a first-round bye in the IHSAA Substate playoffs, and will host on Wednesday, May 22, the winner of Nodaway Valley and Des Moines Christian, whom open the postseason on Monday, May 20 in Greenfield.

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