After two weeks of preparation for the 2026 season, the Creston Panthers welcomed perennial power and Class 1A No. 7 St. Albert to their home pitch Thursday, April 2.
The Saintes have won 13 or more matches for the past three seasons and have been on the winning side of the last 12 matches between the two schools since 2012, and that didn’t change this time.
Last year’s goal scored by the Panthers in a 9-1 loss was just the third goal combined by the Panthers in those dozen matches.
Last Thursday, the Saintes flexed their muscles for a 10-0 win over Creston. It was the season opener for both squads. The Panthers’ next two matches are on the road: Tuesday at Chariton and Thursday at Dension-Schleswig.
Six of St. Albert’s 10 goals came in the first half — two came close together in the first five minutes of the match.
“It was a cold night; it was a difficult game. We knew that it would be tough. They play a focused style and they put pressure on their opponents,” Creston co-head coach Bill Ralston said.
“We have a lot of players that are playing their first match, their first Hawkeye 10 match. We got stunned early with two quick goals, but I thought we settled in and had some good play in long stretches. We made some mistakes that we will be able to correct as the season goes on,” he added.
The Panthers return a handful of players this season from last year’s team that won five matches with a record of 5-12. Their win total was the most since the 2018 season and the first time they got past three match wins since 2021.
St. Albert’s last of four second-half goals came in the 31st minute and ended the match by the 10-goal mercy rule.
“It’s good to have this tough game done early. The girls love playing and they don’t give up. We have to work on connecting our passes without panicking,” Ralston said. “We tried to get rid of the ball too quickly and they sped us up a little.We will work on that at practice and get better.”
This week’s meetings are good opportunities, Ralston added.
“We are looking forward to playing them and it will be a good opportunity to see where we are as a team,” the coach said.
The Saintes provided the Panthers with a good snapshot of top returning players in the league. Four first team all-conference picks are back for Saint Albert. Creston’s lone returner from that list is goalkeeper Lea Stonebraker from Nodaway Valley. Seniors for this year’s team are Brynn Tussey, Ella Turner, Savannah Jaques and Lilly James.
The Saintes’ scoring showed Eleanor Coughlin, Alyssa Shepherd, Ellie Larmie and Stella Simms scoring two goals each, while Piper Pellett and Lyla Kohlhass tacked on goals. Lexie Darrington and Avah Underwood combined to get the shutout in net.
The Panthers played two scrimmages in the preseason, beating Clarke and Des Moines East at home. The Panthers’ roster is bigger than last season’s with six new players and a roster of 19, up from 14 last season.