Ankeny shuts out Kennedy

CEDAR RAPIDS - Cedar Rapids Kennedy continued defense of its 3A girls' state soccer championship against the team they claimed it from. Chalk this one up for the runner-up.Third-ranked Ankeny scored goals in each half and shut out No. 2 Kennedy, 2-0, Friday night at Kennedy.“One of the reasons I wanted to get them in here was for our team to get to play a motivated Ankeny side,” Kennedy coach Andrew McKnight said. “Any time you get to play a top-quality opponent like Ankeny, I get to learn a lot about my team.”Kennedy upset Ankeny, 2-1, in last season's 3A title, snapping the Hawks' 31-game winning streak.“I really know everyone's gunning for us; that's kind of what comes with the title,” Kennedy senior captain Tory Harman said.Kelsey Yarrow broke the scoreless tie when she gathered a shot deflection from Kennedy freshman goalkeeper Olivia Weigel and punched it into the left side of the net with just under nine minutes until halftime. With 24:40 remaining in the game, Ankeny first team all-stater Sarah Brandt's penalty kick sailed over the Cougar wall and was again deflected away by Weigel, only to meet the foot of Hawks sophomore Jordyn Wittman for a 2-0 score.“It's the game. Things happen, you play rough, you get calls. You just have to deal with them,” Harman said of her penalty that set up the second goal. “I think I'm encouraged to see how my teammates played in one of the first games of the season. I know we're going to be a good team this year.”Ankeny second-team all-state goalkeeper Nikkie Inskeep held Kennedy scoreless for the first time since last season's 6-0 loss at West Des Moines Valley.“We've lost the game tonight against a very good side, but we competed very, very well,” McKnight said.Kennedy (0-2) plays Monday at Iowa City High.