The Golden Hawk offense was able to take advantage of early scoring opportunities in an 8-1 victory at Wapello on Friday. 

Mid-Prairie scored four goals in the first 20 minutes before the Arrows were able to convert a rare scoring chance. 

“We were just connecting some passes early on, getting behind their defense and using our speed on them,” Mid-Prairie coach Justin Barthelman said. 

The Golden Hawks’ advantage in speed and experience was evident, with seven goals coming from seniors. Esther Hughes scored four goals and assisted on one, while Kaitlin Martin had two goals and three assists. Evelyn Gerber had one assist and Julia Boller scored a goal and assisted on one as well. 

“We just had some really good shots today,” Boller said. “Some of them were crossbar shots, so that was a bummer. But we just put up a lot of shots that were on frame.”

Boller led the Golden Hawks with 19 goals as a freshman, which was about one third of the team’s total. As a senior, she’s playing a different role for the Mid-Prairie offense, which is 12th in 1A with four goals per game. 

“I'm more like a central player or a side player and I just dish the ball out more,” Boller said. “I pass the ball more and make runs rather than just shooting the ball as often. 

“It's definitely more fun seeing that our offense has built so much over the years and how we can work so well together.”

Freshman Zoey Curtiss also scored a goal in Mid-Prairie’s second highest-scoring game of the season.

Senior goalkeeper Ainsley Lueck made five saves on Friday and communicated with the Golden Hawk defense, which allowed just one goal in the win. 

“I think we did a really good job of clearing it really well, especially in the first half,” Lueck said. “It got a little bit sticky in the second half. But I think that once we figured out everything, it worked a lot better and we were more cohesive.”

It was the fifth time this season that the Golden Hawks have allowed one goal or fewer in a game. Mid-Prairie is in the top half of class 1A defensively, allowing 2.2 goals per game. 

“I definitely think our defense always improves every year,” said senior defender Lilou Beachy.  “Once everyone learns their position better, it just helps everyone be tighter, because you know you can trust other people when they're playing their position. I think it's definitely just learning how each other plays and then just being more cohesive.”

Mid-Prairie (7-4) has three regular season games left before the postseason begins on May 18 in a regional quarterfinal at Solon. The Spartans (10-3) ended Mid-Prairie’s season last year with a 3-0 decision in a regional semifinal. The Golden Hawks have played Solon three times in two seasons and have not scored a goal. 

Last season’s postseason matchup was tied 0-0 at the half before the Spartans broke through in the second. 

“I think we know them pretty well,” Barthelman said. “It's a tough first round matchup. I'd rather play somebody else, but we've played them enough that hopefully we can kind of start to figure out their game style and slow them down.” 

Barthelman said that it will be important for his team to adjust mentally to playing tougher opponents in the postseason. 

“We got away with some of the stuff in this game,” he said. “But when you play Solon, those opportunities aren't going to be there, you're not going to be able to take that back touch, you’re not going to be able to play that ball as slow as you did.”

While Mid-Prairie scored eight goals on Friday, Barthelman was concerned with the number of shots that went over the goal or clanged off the crossbar. 

“Those opportunities, you’ve got to have those,” he said, looking forward to a tough regional bracket. “In a game against Solon, if you have an opportunity like that and you miss it, that could be the game right there.”