PELLA — Hopes should be high for the Lady Dutch soccer squad this spring. Pella loses just two seniors from last year’s team that finished 10-7 and advanced to the regional finals.
Highlighting the group of returnees are a pair of all-staters in Abby Warner and Haley Van Houweling. Warner, a junior striker with a verbal commitment to the University of Iowa, finished 11th in Class 2A with 34 goals and one assist last year and is a dynamic goal scorer and fierce competitor on the pitch for Pella. Van Houweling is rock solid in the net and collected 183 saves and an 86.3% save percentage. The two give Pella a great foundation on the front and back end this season.
Other potential returnees include first team all-conference defender Mia Warner, who also brings an edge to her play while leading the Pella backline. Anneka Stoltzfus enters her senior season after scoring twice and adding four assists last year while Claire Smock was the team’s second leading scorer as a freshman with five goals and four assists. Both earned second team all-conference a year ago.
The Lady Dutch will be challenged early with seven of their first eight games coming on the road. Continuity from the previous year should help this year as Pella look to have another strong season and find a way to the state tournament.
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