Iowa high school girls’ state soccer 2023 superlatives: A look at the brackets in all 3 classes

Suburbs like Ankeny and West Des Moines are used to having multiple schools advance to the girls’ state soccer tournament. Marion is hoping to start a trend on Wednesday. Marion and Linn-Mar are both state bound, with the Wolves making their debut.

The first of the 12 quarterfinal games kicks off at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Des Moines’ Cownie Soccer Park. Girls’ semifinal games are Friday and the state championships are Saturday.

To get ready for the week, let’s run through a few superlatives in each of the classes.

Class 3A girls’ state soccer superlatives

Wednesday’s first-round schedule

No. 1 Waukee Northwest (16-1) vs. No. 8 Ankeny Centennial (10-6-1), 3 p.m.

No. 4 West Des Moines Valley (14-3) vs. No. 5 Pleasant Valley (16-3), 3:15 p.m.

No. 2 Ankeny (12-3-1) vs. No. 7 West Des Moines Dowling (10-6), 3:30 p.m.

No. 3 Johnston (13-4) vs. No. 6 Linn-Mar (16-3), 3:45 p.m.

Highest seed: Waukee Northwest has yet to lose to an Iowa team this season and went 8-0 in the CIML, a conference that counts six of the eight 3A qualifiers as its members.

Most prolific scorer: Pleasant Valley’s 3-0 regional final win over Waukee featured a hat trick from junior Morgan Russmann, who now has 41 goals this season.

Most tradition: West Des Moines Valley and Pleasant Valley both are here for the 20th time. It’s the ninth appearance in a row for the Tigers.

Best rematch: We’re stretching the criteria for Linn-Mar vs. Johnston, which doesn’t exactly qualify as a rematch. For the Lions, it’s another difficult hurdle as they try to take the next step as a program. Their seven state tournaments have ended in the first round, the last five against CIML teams.

Biggest underdog: Does the defending champion count as an underdog? In this stacked field, not too many results would come as a surprise. Ankeny Centennial finished below .500 in the CIML, but the Jaguars have been here the last seven seasons and aren’t your typical Cinderella.

Class 2A girls’ state soccer superlatives

Wednesday’s first-round schedule

No. 1 Waverly-Shell Rock (16-1) vs. No. 11 North Polk (12-6), 12:30 p.m.

No. 4 Pella (14-2) vs. No. 6 Adel ADM (12-4), 12:45 p.m.

No. 2 Dallas Center-Grimes (15-3) vs. No. 9 Marion (12-2), 1 p.m.

No. 3 North Scott (13-3) vs. No. 7 Spencer (15-3), 1:15 p.m.

Highest seed: Waverly-Shell Rock has given up one goal all season, in a game it eventually lost in penalties to Norwalk. The Go-Hawks outlasted two other top-four seeds in regular-season shootouts — Dallas Center-Grimes and Pella.

Most prolific scorer: Spencer sophomore Addison Hoben won’t be passed this season. Her 64 goals are 19 more than anyone else in any class.

Most tradition: Waverly-Shell Rock makes its 17th state tournament appearance and ninth consecutive. Included in that run is the Go-Hawks’ lone state title, in 2021. Dallas Center-Grimes is the defending champion.

Warmest welcome: Marion has been close before, including a 14-1 season in 2018, but broke through with its first trip to state this spring.

Biggest underdog: North Polk probably lost regional home-field advantage when it fell, 1-0, to Bondurant-Farrar on May 12. But it turns out the Comets didn’t need it, winning in a shootout at Bondurant-Farrar last week to advance to state.

Class 1A girls’ state soccer superlatives

Wednesday’s first-round schedule

No. 1 Des Moines Christian (14-2) vs. No. 10 Hudson (13-2), 10 a.m.

No. 4 Gilbert (12-5) vs. No. 5 Underwood (11-2), 10:15 a.m.

No. 2 Nevada (14-3) vs. No. 7 Sioux City Heelan (15-3), 10:30 a.m.

No. 3 Davenport Assumption (13-4) vs. No. 6 Van Meter (12-3), 10:45 a.m.

Highest seed: Des Moines Christian won it all in its second state tournament appearance last spring after a runner-up finish in 2021. The Lions have been ranked No. 1 all season.

Most prolific scorer: None of Class 1A’s top eight scorers reached the state tournament, including leader Grace Gaarde (45) of Iowa City Regina. Sioux City Heelan’s Trelyn White and Jada Newberg round out the overall top 10 with 29 and 27 goals, respectively.

Most tradition: Heelan leads the state with 21 all-time state tournament bids, including a title in 2015. Davenport Assumption is one behind and holds the record with 11 state championships, including five straight from 2016-2021.

Warmest welcome: Annabelle Lange’s overtime goal against Denver sent Hudson to state for the first time.

Best rematch: Nevada got past Heelan by a 1-0 margin in last year’s quarterfinal round. That was a 5-vs.-4 matchup, but it wouldn’t be surprising if their 7-2 meeting is just as close.

Comments: nathan.ford@thegazette.com