OTTUMWA, IA – It was bound to happen.
After collecting undoubtedly the team's biggest win in program history two days prior, and having Sophomore Day distractions to boot, it shouldn't have come as a surprise that No. 15-rated Indian Hills suffered from a bit of a malaise Friday against Iowa Central.
IHCC found itself tied with Iowa Central 1-1 at half, but would eventually recover to win 4-1 to close out the regular season on a day that the team celebrated seven outgoing sophomores.
"It was another slow start for us," said Indian Hills Head Coach Anthony Longo. "We were living in the past and still enjoying the victory over Iowa Western. Like any team at this level, if you don't come ready to play you will get punished."
That punishment came quickly in the form of an Iowa Central goal from Julia Herbst to go up 1-0 in the ninth minute.
"We left a play wide open around the 18, and to her credit, she finished," Longo added.
Warrior freshman, Makayla Reed knotted things back up at 1-1 off a Bailey Wiemann assist ten minutes later.
"Makayla came through for us and got the game tied," Longo said. "She has been a great player for us all year, and she was rewarded with a goal when we needed it."
The two teams would carry the 1-1 score into the intermission, which was a colorful halftime discussion, according to Longo.
"Halftime was very heated and it was a very forceful talk," Longo said. "The ladies responded as needed, and I was proud to see how they came out in the second half."
Wiemann would go on to add another assist and a goal of her own in the second stanza to spearhead the Warriors' rejuvenated effort, a performance that didn't surprise her head coach.
"Bailey once again was the best player on the field," said Longo. "When she is in the mood, there isn't a player in the conference who can defend her. She was rewarded today with a goal and a couple assists."
Wiemann's second assist of the day went to Ashlyn Haas who had two second half goals, one at the 60th minute to give the Warriors their first lead, and another at the 80th minute to put it out of reach at 4-1.
"Ashlyn was great inside the 18," Longo said. "She has put in great performances lately and has worked her tail off. A lot of what she does won't show up on the score sheet, but today she was in the right place and she took her chances."
Friday's win moved the two-year mark for this current sophomore group to 24-3-2. The team celebrated Yui Okamoto, Berenice Ruiz-Aviles, Alex Solano, Avery Woldruff, Madison K. Meyer and Georgia Lindon, who will graduate with perfect records at home and in non-conference matchups.
"I was excited about this class when I brought them in two years ago," Longo said. "They've done their job as a group. It's been an awesome class. I'm definitely going to miss them, but I hope we've got a few more weeks together."
As it turns out, the Warriors (10-1-1 overall, 9-1-1 ICCAC) will turn right around and host the Tritons (5-5, 5-5) again on Sunday to open postseason play.
"It's always great to beat Iowa Central. It's a competitive rivalry, and we enjoy coming out on the winning side," Longo said. "Now we switch gears and focus on the playoffs. We know the full path now that all the games have finished. Right now, we know we have Iowa Central at home and we have a full week to prepare for it."
Sunday's region semifinal game is slated for a 1 p.m. kick off at IHCC Field. A victory there would likely force a third meeting with top-seeded Iowa Western next Wednesday, May 19 in Council Bluffs. The Reivers host Iowa Lakes in Sunday's other Region XI semifinal.
Scoring Summary
Period Team Time Play V-H
1st IC 9:00 Julia Herbst (from Anna Pons) 1-0
1st IH 19:00 Makayla Reed (from Bailey Wiemann) 1-1
2nd IH 60:00 Ashlyn Haas (from Bailey Wiemann) 1-2
2nd IH 74:00 Bailey Wiemann (Yui Okamoto) 1-3
2nd IH 81:00 Ashlyn Haas (Risa Ogasawara) 1-4