Iowa high school girls’ soccer 2023: Gazette area players and teams to watch

Here are some of the top Gazette area players and teams to watch entering the 2023 Iowa high school girls’ soccer season.

Players to watch

Emily Bowe, soph., Center Point-Urbana — Class 1A first-team all-state forward led a state tournament team with 26 goals in her first season.

Rilyn Breinholt, soph., Iowa City Liberty — Led the Lightning with 10 assists and scored 11 goals in her first season. Class 2A second-team all-state.

Claire Brown, sr., Iowa City High — City High’s first state medalist in girls’ wrestling has also led the Little Hawks in goals each of the last two years, scoring 18 last spring. Second-team all-state honoree signed to play soccer at Western Illinois.

Madison Daily, sr., Center Point-Urbana — Class 1A first-team all-state defender for a state tournament team that allowed more than one goal in a game only twice, and never more than two.

Grace Gaarde, sr., Iowa City Regina — First-team Class 1A all-stater scored 29 goals each of the last two seasons.

Maya Marquardt, jr., Iowa City Liberty — Second-team all-state defender in Class 2A last spring.

Easten Miller, jr., Independence — Last year’s Wamac West Player of the Year scored 36 goals and contributed 13 assists for a team that reached the Class 2A regional finals.

Janelle Minor, sr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy — Second-team all-state and first-team All-MVC pick led the Cougars with 20 goals and added 10 assists last season. Western Illinois signee.

Reegan Hess, sr., Cedar Rapids Prairie — First-team All-MVC honoree scored a team-high 10 goals last spring. Committed to NCAA D-II Quincy (Ill.) University.

Abi Roberts, soph., Linn-Mar — The top returning scorer for a perennial MVC power, she scored 18 times and distributed 13 assists in her first season and was named second-team all-state in 3A.

Cassie White, sr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy — First-team All-MVC selection led the Cougars with 12 assists and scored 17 goals last spring. Western Illinois signee.

Teams to watch

Center Point-Urbana — Three all-state picks return from a team that took off in mid-April last spring, winning 12 out of 13 games before running into top-seeded Davenport Assumption in the Class 1A state tournament.

Independence — With eight freshmen in the starting 11 last year, the Mustangs went 14-3, won the Wamac West title and advanced to the Class 2A regional finals. Among the now-sophomore class are first-team all-conference honorees Addison Lange (team-high 20 assists), Arabella Louvar and Marcelina Weber.

Iowa City High — Only three seniors started last year for a team that won eight straight late, including a 6-1 regional semifinal win over Cedar Rapids Kennedy, before running into fourth-ranked Waukee Northwest.

Linn-Mar — The Lions were undefeated against Iowa teams with a 111-9 scoring margin before losing by a goal in the Class 3A regional finals. First-team All-MVC selections Emma and McKenna Friedman are among the numerous returning starters.

Solon — Almost everyone is back from a 16-4 team that reached the Class 1A regional finals. Second-team all-state forward Morgan Link had 23 goals and eight assists last season.

Comments: nathan.ford@thegazette.com