Alyssa Hertel
Sports Reporter at Des Moines Register
High school sports and sometimes colleges for @DMRegister. Strong opinions about Philly cheesesteaks and pizza.
Articles
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1 week ago |
desmoinesregister.com | Alyssa Hertel
Another Iowa high school girls soccer season has come and gone, and this season was filled with excitement and surprises. On June 7, three teams finished their seasons on top and took home state titles: Waukee Northwest in Class 3A, Dallas Center-Grimes in 2A (for the fourth straight year) and Assumption in 1A. Those three teams were led to titles by some of the top players in the state. But there was plenty of talent spread around rosters from across the state.
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2 weeks ago |
desmoinesregister.com | Alyssa Hertel
AMES — For Dallas Center-Grimes girls soccer head coach Dan James, time moved in slow motion. The Mustangs were in the fifth minute of a second overtime period against Waverly-Shell Rock when the ball landed at Alexandra Hofbauer’s feet. She took the shot – almost right down the middle – and paused. The ball and crossbar made contact first, then the ball bounced down and just barely across the goal line.
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2 weeks ago |
amestrib.com | Alyssa Hertel
AMES — For Dallas Center-Grimes girls soccer head coach Dan James, time moved in slow motion. The Mustangs were in the fifth minute of a second overtime period against Waverly-Shell Rock when the ball landed at Alexandra Hofbauer’s feet. She took the shot – almost right down the middle – and paused. The ball and crossbar made contact first, then the ball bounced down and just barely across the goal line.
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2 weeks ago |
desmoinesregister.com | Alyssa Hertel
AMES — There's that old saying: Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. That’s what Waukee Northwest girls soccer experienced over the last three seasons. The Wolves earned the top seed in the Iowa high school state tournament in 2023, 2024 and 2025. But those two previous trips to the tournament ended in the semifinals, both with losses to Valley. This time, though, was different. Northwest entered the tournament as the team to beat and made it through unscathed.
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3 weeks ago |
desmoinesregister.com | Alyssa Hertel
Decked out in bright orange jerseys and charcoal-colored caps, Valley’s boys soccer team lined up in front of the net for a team picture. Two players held up the Iowa high school soccer state championship banner; another placed the trophy front and center. And one more player leaned a cellphone against the base of the award. On the screen of that phone, Alexander Mirsky smiled.
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Make it a four-peat. Dallas Center-Grimes won its fourth-straight girls soccer state title, this time off the foot of Alex Hofbauer in double overtime. https://t.co/A0kDrjTD4Y
Third time is the charm. Waukee Northwest was the No. 1 seed in the 2023, 2024 and 2025 tournaments. And this year, the Wolves got it done, beating Linn-Mar for their first girls soccer title in school history. https://t.co/8riAecNhgN
Despite being down three players, Valley soccer capped it's 21-game winning streak with a state championship. It marked the Tigers' first title since 2016 and they did it in style, defeating the reigning back-to-back champion Johnston in a shutout. https://t.co/9UXwemRJeX