HCHS girls fall to state-ranked St. Albert 10-1, gain valuable early-season experience

COUNCIL BLUFFS — The Harlan Community girls soccer team traveled to the campus of Iowa Western Community College on Monday to face Class 1A pre-season No. 7 St. Albert, falling 10-1.
The Cyclones’ lone goal came from Carly Torneten, who converted her only shot on goal and provided a bright spot against a strong St. Albert defense.
HCHS was limited to seven shots on the night, with Abbie Anderson and Claire Bieker each registering multiple attempts on goal. 
Goalkeeper Ellie Albertsen faced constant pressure, finishing with 13 saves while gaining valuable in-game experience.
Head coach Chelsey Buman acknowledged the challenge but pointed to positives in her team’s effort and mindset, “it was a rough game, but we did score a goal against them,” Buman said. 
“It proves to the girls that St. Albert is not invincible. I’m proud of them, they played all 80 minutes and never stopped competing.”
Buman emphasized that many of the team’s struggles came from correctable mistakes.“Most of our mis-takes were simple ones things we can fix,” she said. 
“That’s encouraging, because it means we have a lot of room to grow.”
The match also served as an important development opportunity, particularly for younger players.
“Our keeper is young, and this game really challenged her,” Buman said. 
“She learned things that you can only learn in a game like this. That experience is going to help her moving forward.”
Despite the result, Buman said the game provided a valuable benchmark early in the season.“If St. Albert continues to play like they did, they’ll be the team to beat,” she said. 
“They’re a very polished group. But for us, it’s only game two. We’ve only had eight practices together, and we have a lot of new players still figuring things out.”
Buman added that facing a high-level opponent can accelerate growth.“You learn more from your losses than your wins,” she said.
“Does it sting? Yeah, it does. But we learned a lot about our style of play and about each other.”
With a mix of returning experience and new contributors, the Cyclones remain focused on improving as the season progresses.“The season is just getting started, and so are we,” Buman said. 
“I see the potential, the willingness, and the passion. That’s what we’re going to build on. I’d love to see how we match up with them again at the end of the season.”
Harlan Community returns to action Friday for its home opener, hosting Riverside (1-0) at Merrill Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m.