Iowa high school girls’ soccer regional analysis: What to know about Gazette area brackets

The road to Cownie Soccer Complex actually started Monday night in Iowa high school girls’ soccer with a handful of Class 1A regional first-round games, but most ranked teams in the bigger two classes don’t begin the postseason until next Tuesday.

Here’s a look at the schedule, with a breakdown of every regional involving Gazette area teams.

» Statewide girls’ soccer regional pairings, schedule and scores

Iowa high school girls’ soccer regional schedule

Wednesday — Class 1A quarterfinals

Friday — Class 2A and Class 3A quarterfinals

Tuesday, May 24 — Semifinals in all classes

Thursday, May 26 — Finals in all classes

Class 3A Region 4

The favorite: No. 4 Ankeny (15-1) has given up just one goal all season, in a 1-0 loss to Ankeny Centennial.

Top challenger: No. 13 Cedar Falls (12-3) pushed sixth-ranked (and somewhat rotated) Linn-Mar to overtime after a scoreless 80 minutes in late April. How far can the Tigers push the Hawks?

Gazette area games: Cedar Rapids Prairie (4-8) visits Cedar Falls in a semifinal game.

Class 3A Region 6

The favorite: No. 5 Waukee Northwest (14-2) has only lost once against an Iowa team, and that was in penalties after 100 scoreless minutes against Ankeny.

Top challenger: No. 11 Iowa City High (11-3) has some firepower, putting three goals past Linn-Mar earlier this season in a 5-3 loss.

Gazette area games: No. 15 Cedar Rapids Kennedy (9-5) and Cedar Rapids Jefferson (3-7) meet in a quarterfinal game at Kingston Stadium three days after the Cougars’ 7-0 regular-season finale victory. The winner will play City High in the semifinals.

Class 3A Region 7

The favorite: No. 6 Linn-Mar (15-2) hasn’t lost to an Iowa team this season and ended the regular season with a bang, a 7-0 win over ninth-ranked Bettendorf.

Top challenger: No. 10 Muscatine (11-5) hopes for some deja vu after shocking Linn-Mar in a regional final upset last season. The Muskies enter the postseason on a high note, too, having routed No. 7 Pleasant Valley 5-0 on Tuesday.

Gazette area games: Linn-Mar will host the Davenport North-Dubuque Senior winner in a semifinal game.

Class 3A Region 8

The favorite: No. 7 Pleasant Valley (11-5) won a share of the Mississippi Athletic Conference title with a 7-1 league record.

Top challenger: No. 9 Bettendorf (11-4) tied PV atop the MAC standings and lost to the rival Spartans in a shootout in April.

Gazette area games: Iowa City West (7-7) hosts Davenport Central (6-9) in a quarterfinal game, with the winner advancing to face PV. Western Dubuque (5-7) visits Bettendorf in the semifinals.

Class 2A Region 5

The favorite: No. 2 Norwalk (14-3) was top-ranked for most of the season, before losing close games to then-No. 2 Dallas Center-Grimes and then-No. 3 Waverly-Shell Rock.

Top challengers: No. 13 Pella (9-6) lost just 1-0 to Norwalk in their regular-season meeting. Iowa City Liberty is 7-9 but played a tough schedule in the 3A-heavy Mississippi Valley Conference.

Gazette area games: Liberty visits Mount Pleasant (8-6) in the quarterfinal round.

Class 2A Region 6

The favorite: Reigning state champion Waverly-Shell Rock (14-1) graduated Kenzie Roling, the state’s leading scorer who is now at Iowa, but still is in good position for an eighth straight trip to Des Moines.

Top challengers: No. 14 Independence (13-2) won the Wamac West starting eight freshmen. Sophomore Easten Miller ranks sixth in the state with 34 goals. No. 15 Iowa Falls-Alden (14-2) has won 10 straight games, all via shutout, but hasn’t beaten a ranked foe.

Gazette area games: Marion (5-9) hosts Decorah (5-12) in the quarterfinals. Independence will host a semifinal against either Iowa Falls-Alden or Webster City.

Class 2A Region 7

The favorite: The seniors for No. 5 Cedar Rapids Xavier (10-3) were freshmen on the 2019 state title team and are hoping for another crown after claiming the MVC Valley Division title.

Top challenger: Clear Creek Amana (9-7) was ranked at various times this season and has notable wins over Center Point-Urbana and Adel ADM.

Gazette area games: Cedar Rapids Washington (1-13) and South Tama (3-13) meet in a quarterfinal game at Tama. Xavier will host the winner in the semifinals, while CCA hosts either Southeast Conference co-champion Fort Madison or Keokuk.

Class 2A Region 8

The favorite: No. 7 North Scott (10-5-1) went through the MAC gauntlet and has only played two 2A teams, three-goal wins over Clear Creek Amana and DeWitt Central.

Top challenger: No. 9 Mount Vernon (16-1) was unranked in the preseason, but Drake signee Maia Bentley (36 goals, 23 assists) has helped the Mustangs win 16 games in a row.

Gazette area games: Mount Vernon will host a semifinal game against Clinton or SEC co-champion Burlington.

Class 1A Region 4

The favorite: No. 3 Dike-New Hartford (13-1) has lost only to top-ranked, five-time defending state champion Davenport Assumption. Camille Landphair leads all classes with 47 goals, while Sophia Hoffmann is atop the assists leaderboard with 28.

Top challengers: No. 11 Denver (9-4) and No. 13 Waterloo Columbus (8-6-1) fell to DNH back in early April, 3-0 and 6-1, respectively.

Gazette area games: North Fayette Valley (2-8) and Clayton Ridge (5-6) hit the road in the quarterfinals, against Denver and Waterloo Columbus, respectively.

Class 1A Region 5

The favorite: No. 10 Center Point-Urbana (12-3) was seemingly off the radar this spring and was the third seed when the brackets were released, but has won nine of its last 10 and is now the highest-ranked team in this region. Four of those wins were against ranked opponents.

Top challengers: No. 12 Hudson (9-2-1) is atop the bracket, but slipped in the rankings after a 3-0 loss to Denver. No. 14 Iowa City Regina (10-5) was tested by another difficult schedule.

Gazette area games: Tipton (5-7) visits Hudson in the quarterfinals after beating Monticello 2-0 in a first-round game Monday. Union Community (6-6) hosts Anamosa (8-7), Regina hosts West Delaware (0-15) and CPU hosts Dyersville Beckman (7-8) in the other quarterfinals.

Class 1A Region 6

The favorite: No. 5 Nevada is 9-6 overall, with five of those losses against non-1A teams. The Cubs are seeking a 10th consecutive state appearance.

Top challengers: No. 15 Vinton-Shellsburg (11-4) is in the IGHSAU soccer rankings for the first time and has set a school record for wins.

Gazette area games: West Branch (6-8) takes a quarterfinal trip to Vinton-Shellsburg after a 2-0 first-round win over Cedar Valley Christian on Monday. Benton Community (6-10) and Williamsburg (5-9) meet in an all-Wamac West quarterfinal at Van Horne.

Class 1A Region 7

The favorite: No. 8 Van Meter is 8-5 and lost three of its last four, but narrowly remained the highest-ranked team in the region.

Top challengers: No. 9 Solon (14-3) won five in a row, including two over ranked teams, to end the regular season after one-goal defeats to Mount Vernon and Center Point-Urbana.

Gazette area games: Solon hosts Mid-Prairie (9-5) in the quarterfinals, while Washington (9-6) visits Central Lee (10-4).

Class 1A Region 8

The favorite: Top-ranked Davenport Assumption (11-4) has advanced to state a record 14 consecutive seasons and has won five state championships in a row.

Top challengers: No other team in this region has a winning record, though Dubuque Wahlert (5-10) played mostly 2A and 3A teams in the MVC.

Gazette area games: West Liberty (6-8) takes on Assumption after a 9-0 first-round win over Wapello on Monday.

Comments: nathan.ford@thegazette.com