Following a top four finish and a heartbreaking loss to Waverly-Shell Rock at the state tournament last year, the Pella girls soccer team will need to replace nearly their entire defensive backline and rely on several key offensive returning athletes to make another chase to the top of Class 2A.

Following the graduation of multiple time All-State goalkeeper Haley Van Houweling and senior defensive stalwarts and multiple year starters Mia Warner, Eliza Van Zee, Anneka Stoltzfus, Tatum Carlstone, Kaylee Van Polen, and Lily Davidson, there is work to do and shoes to fill for the green and white this spring.

However, Head Coach Mark Howard says they should be strong at finding the back of the net on offense, and they should be able to use that strength to bolster the team in other spots as they develop throughout the spring and aim to be ready for the postseason push in late May.

Pella opens their preseason with a jamboree at Ankeny Friday before their first official match on Tuesday, March 26th at home vs. Winterset.

Key returners:
Abby Warner, Senior
The future Iowa Hawkeye is already one of the most decorated players in the program’s rich history, and she’s on the cusp of a special finale. Warner is a candidate for Miss Iowa Soccer this year after scoring 45 goals and converting on 35% of her shots on frame in 2023. Abby has tallied 105 goals in her career and could make for an untouchable school record on her way out. Warner has done this often in the face of defenses focusing solely on her, and this spring will be no exception, but there’s no reason to doubt what could be an exciting end to a fantastic career for the multiple time All-State selection.

Claire Smock, Junior
Smock has showcased great skill in balancing two sports and being a key contributor on the pitch and on the tennis court, and was a key reason was both teams placed in the top four of their respective sports. Claire often pulls double duty and will again this spring, and does so as the primary threat on the field for scoring outside of Warner. Smock scored nine goals last year, converting on 33.3% of her chances on the net. The biggest key is whether or not Claire can take another step forward and create more opportunities on her own, and really start to free things up for the rest of the offense.

Avary Hunsinger, Sophomore
Avary emerged as one of the top facilitators for the Pella strike force last spring, tying Warner with a team high six assists in 15 starts, and scoring four goals of her own. Hunsinger will likely assume even more midfield duties after the large graduating force in the back row has left opportunity for growth along the roster. One of her primary objectives will be to continue to find ways to break open the likes of Warner and Smock on the top, and her experience and flashes of breakout talent last year may allow her to be more even effective this season.

Lauren Mace, Junior
It could be a breakout year for this junior who started all 18 games for Pella last spring — one of two athletes to boast that claim that is returning this season. The junior often worked the edges of the pitch and did manage two goals and three assists. Mace will need to be part of bolstering Pella’s defense in the middle of the field to better allow for development in what will be a young and largely inexperienced backline.

Lizzie Neumann, Sophomore
This two way athlete was limited in terms of minutes due to her desire to contribute to the track and field team — and that balance paid off for both squads, as the then-freshman made several key contributions to the 3rd place girls on the oval and to the top four finish in soccer. Neumann scored six goals and tallied three assists while only making four starts and appearing in 15 games. While she remains committed to both sports, look for Lizzie to have learned from her experience pulling double duty, and provide a huge spark especially after she’s done helping the Pella girls dominate on the track this spring and while the girls soccer team makes a postseason push.