Iowa high school girls’ state soccer breakdown: What to know about the 2022 qualifiers

Let’s take a class-by-class look at the Iowa high school girls’ state soccer tournament field. The tourney kicks off with the quarterfinals on Tuesday at Cownie Soccer Park in Des Moines, followed by the semifinals Thursday and the finals Saturday.

» Brackets: 2022 girls’ state soccer pairings, seeds and schedules

Class 3A girls’ state soccer breakdown

The favorite: Top-ranked West Des Moines Valley (18-0) won its seventh state championship last season and hasn’t lost yet this year, riding a 36-game win streak entering the quarterfinals.

Next in line: Second-ranked Council Bluffs Lincoln (15-3) took Valley to overtime in a tournament setting in early April, the only team to do so this year. No. 3 Ankeny (17-1) beat the Lynx the week before and lost only to No. 5 Ankeny Centennial (16-3) this year. No. 4 Waukee Northwest (16-2) fell to Ankeny in penalties and beat Centennial three days later.

The field: No. 6 Pleasant Valley (13-5) is tied with West Des Moines Valley with 19 state tournament appearances, second-most in the state. No. 10 Muscatine (13-5) is on a roll, ending the regular season with a 5-0 win over PV, then winning 1-0 at sixth-ranked Linn-Mar in the regional finals. Eighth-ranked West Des Moines Dowling (12-5) hasn’t beaten a state qualifier yet this year, but is obviously capable.

Top goal scorers:

1. Hanna Schimmer, sr., Council Bluffs Lincoln (42)

2. Morgan Russmann, soph., Pleasant Valley (28)

T-3. Mya Jansen, sr., Muscatine (21)

T-3. Anna Van Wyngarden, sr., West Des Moines Valley (21)

5. Lanie Weikert, jr., Muscatine (19)

Class 2A girls’ state soccer breakdown

The favorite: Last year’s runner-up, Dallas Center-Grimes (19-0) took over the No. 1 ranking in mid-May and hasn’t looked back.

Next in line: The defending champion, No. 2 Waverly-Shell Rock (16-1) hasn’t lost since a 1-0 season-opening defeat to DCG. Third-ranked Norwalk (16-3) was No. 1 for much of the season before narrow setbacks to Little Hawkeye Conference rival DCG and WSR. Fifth-ranked Cedar Rapids Xavier (12-3) won the Valley Division in the 3A-heavy Mississippi Valley Conference and has more than twice as many state championships (10) as any current 2A program. No. 4 Spencer (15-3) has scored 122 goals, the most in 2A.

The field: Sixth-ranked Lewis Central (15-5) is here for the sixth-straight year, a run that started with three straight titles. Battle-tested North Scott (12-5-1), ranked seventh, is one of four qualifiers from the MAC (two are in 3A, one in 1A). No. 10 North Polk (13-4) knows drama — the Comets won their regional semifinal in overtime and their regional final with a go-ahead goal with 2:15 remaining in regulation.

Top goal scorers:

1. Alexa Johnson, sr., Spencer (56)

2. Jojo Bice, sr., Norwalk (43)

3. Hana Daoudi, sr., Lewis Central (40)

4. Brielle Bastian, sr., Cedar Rapids Xavier (37)

5. Avery Korsching, sr., Dallas Center-Grimes (34)

Class 1A girls’ state soccer breakdown

The favorite: Davenport Assumption (15-4) has won five straight state championships and 11 overall, the most all-time. The Knights haven’t lost to a 1A team since 2015 and have been ranked No. 1 all season again.

Next in line: No. 2 Des Moines Christian (18-1) has scored the most goals (130) of any team in the state this season. Third-ranked Dike-New Hartford (16-1) has lost only to Assumption in just its second varsity season. Sioux City Heelan (14-4), ranked fourth this year, has more state appearances (20) than any other program. No. 5 Nevada (12-6) is back for the 10th-straight tournament.

The field: Ranked sixth, Underwood (13-2) has only lost to state qualifiers Heelan and Spencer (2A) by a goal apiece and is state bound for the first time. No. 8 Van Meter (11-5) is making its state debut as a solo program; ADM/Van Meter advanced six times from 2011-2019. After being shut out last year, the Wamac is back at state with No. 10 Center Point-Urbana (15-3) here for the fifth time in the last six seasons.

Top goal scorers:

1. Camille Landphair, jr., Dike-New Hartford (58)

2. Isabel Garcia, jr., Des Moines Christian (39)

3. Jenna Roberts, soph., Des Moines Christian (34)

4. Eden Moore, soph., Van Meter (30)

5. Jade Jackson, sr., Davenport Assumption (29)

Comments: nathan.ford@thegazette.com