Rams’ season ends one win short of state

The game wasn’t over at halftime but that was all Council Bluffs Lewis Central needed.

The No. 1 ranked and two-time defending state champion Titans looked the part in the first half as their experienced, attacking front line picked Glenwood apart for six first half goals en route to a 9-0 victory to punch their ticket to state in the Class 2A, Region 2 finals in Council Bluffs Monday night.

“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” said Glenwood coach Amy Benson following the game. “They do a great job moving off the ball. They’re constantly moving whether they’re near the ball or not. They’re good at supporting each other and moving into support position. Individually they’re very talented too. They’re just a great team.”

The Titans (14-3) got on the board less that five minutes in when Dani Peterson scored on a set piece set up by a corner kick. Seven minutes later, Caitlyn Hanafan bent a shot just inside the left post for the 2-0 lead.

Time and again Lewis Central was the aggressor, dominating possession for much of the first half – they out-shot Glenwood 12 to 0 in the first frame – as their lead swelled to 6-0 with additional goals by Grace Guidry, Malena Beezley, Hadley Hill and Mikayla McCart.

Benson said she felt like her team was slow on the possession much of the first half and the Titans recovered too quick for her team to get just the right through ball or use their speed to the edge to form much of an attack.

“They’re definitely very experienced and they’re very deep so even if they sub, they still have players,” Benson said. “There’s always three girls right there, ready for the ball and they play really well off each other. They work on combinations a lot and they’re really quick.”

Guidry added a pair of goals after halftime to give the Iowa State recruit a hat trick and reserve Callie Stephens the capper.

The finish wasn’t what Benson wanted for her team that entered ranked No. 13 in the state after having played at a torrid pace the last six games, shutting out four opponents and holding a 47-3 goal advantage in the 6-0 stretch.
“This was a great season, the first time we’ve been in the regional final in five years and the girls worked really hard. The only teams that beat us were teams ranked higher than we were. That’s a great thing for these girls to take away from this season. Would have been great to maybe have been in a different regional but that’s the luck of the draw. The girls gave it their all.”

The Rams close their season with a record of 11-5. They graduate three seniors in Nikki Schuppan, Katelyn Malcom and Mia McCorkle that all played key roles this season and in their four-year careers.

“They’ve played a lot early on and have been a big part of this team so they’re big losses,” Benson said. “They all three always gave their all and contributed in so many ways. They are going to be missed greatly.”

Despite the losses, Benson can’t help but be excited for the group she has returning next season, including a quartet of freshman that all started in the regional final.

“I’m definitely looking forward to being a little more experienced next year,” Benson said.