Panthers draw in opener

It took less than five minutes of the 2025 season for the Creston/Nodaway Valley girls soccer team to show an improved attack this year.

Speedy freshman Karissa Groves of Nodaway Valley drove a shot into the Riverside net just 4:17 into the match, taking the assist from Nodaway Valley’s Lillie Strode for a 1-0 lead.

Riverside prevented the Panthers from securing their first season-opening win since a 2-0 victory over Missouri Valley in 2012 by tying the match 1-1 at 26:50. There were no other goals in the match, although Riverside junior Karlie Miller had two runout attempts in the final 2:14 that resulted in saves by Panther goalkeeper Lea Stonebraker of Nodaway Valley.

“Lea is a good player and could help us anywhere on the field, but she does a great job at goalie,” said Creston co-coach Bill Ralston. “We’re happy with our first game. That was a lot of freshmen and first-year soccer players out there.”

With three key players unavailable in the first matches of the season, Ralston and co-coach Ryan Burwell relied on an inexperienced defense to hold off a Riverside team that outshot the Panthers, 13-4. Creston juniors Ella Turner and Brynn Tussey were among the newcomers to the sport but showed their athleticism from other sports in battling the Bulldogs’ attack.

“Basketball players see the entire field; they see it like a basketball court as the play develops,” Burwell said.

The Panthers began a weekend trip to Council Bluffs with Friday’s Hawkeye Ten opener against No. 7-ranked St. Albert. The Saintes, 7-0 in league play last year, prevailed 9-1.

It was just the third time in the Bound/QuikStats era (2007) that a Panther team scored a goal against the Saintes. Sophomore Adyson Evans of Nodaway Valley scored for the Panthers on a chip shot off the St. Albert goalkeeper.

Creston participated in the Thomas Jefferson Invitational Saturday, falling 6-0 to TJ and 3-0 in a rematch with Riverside to finish the day.

“We played pretty well against a very strong St. Albert team,” Burwell said. “We had two defenders away Saturday taking their ACT and had to move a couple of our shooters back to defense, which left us a little more inexperienced up front. We were pretty tired and beat up by our fourth game in three days. Lea had a sore knee Friday night and then got hit pretty hard by two players on Saturday, but we think she’ll be able to play Tuesday.”

The Panthers, 0-3-1, play Chariton at home Tuesday before hosting Denison-Schleswig on Thursday.

Creston 1, Riverside 1

Creston (1) — Karissa Groves goal 4:17 (Lillie Strode assist). Shots (on goal) — 4 (3 on goal). Keeper saves — Lea Stonebraker 9.

Riverside (1) — Karlie Miller goal 26:50. Shots (on goal) — 13 (12). Saves — 3.

Ryan Stonebraker contributed to this story