Mia DePrenger's late goal gives Iowa City High girls’ soccer another win in West rivalry

IOWA CITY — Iowa City High girls' soccer coach Phillip Hansen figured freshman Mia DePrenger had 20 or 30 runs at the goal.

The last one netted the Little Hawks another win over their crosstown rival.

'I could not have been prouder of them,' Hansen said after Class 3A No. 14 Iowa City High edged Iowa City West, 1-0, in the opening Mississippi Valley Conference match for both schools Tuesday at the University of Iowa Soccer Complex. 'Today they stepped up. Today they took that challenge on. It was a great battle between two good teams and it was fun to watch.'

The victory was the first this season for City High (1-2, 1-0 MVC), and the first with Hansen as head coach. Hansen was previously an assistant coach with the City High boys' team and will begin his term as City High Athletics Director on July 1 following the retirement of Terry Coleman at the end of the school year.

'I'm excited, but it doesn't beat the excitement of this,' Hansen said.

After not beating West (0-3, 0-1) at all from 2008-17, City High has now claimed the last three meetings. Just as it appeared overtime would be needed to decide the 2019 installment, DePrenger fielded a pass from Iowa recruit Sam Schroder, steadied herself and fired past West goalkeeper Julia Bernat with 3:31 left in regulation.

'I just saw the open slot that Sam had and I just called for it,' said DePrenger, who plays club soccer at Iowa Soccer Club in Iowa City. 'I got the two-touch on it. I just took the shot.'

The goal was the first in three games for City High, which started the season with narrow losses to 3A No. 11 Pleasant Valley and 1A No. 4 Union Community.

'The first win of the season just came down to being the rivalry, which helped us a lot,' DePrenger said. 'And it is going to help us with our morale and how to start out the game. We know how to start out the games now because we know how to play and how to win.'

Girls' soccer

AT UNIVERSITY OF IOWA SOCCER COMPLEX

Class 3A No. 14 Iowa City High 1, Iowa City West 0

Goal —

Mia DePrenger (1).

l Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com