Girls soccer: Vasconez breaks career goal-scoring record
OTTUMWA — Ilana Vasconez had 72 hours to think about becoming the breaking the program record for the most goals scored in an Ottumwa High School girls soccer career. Just 48 seconds into Monday's match with Chariton, Vasconez didn't have to think about it anymore. The Ottumwa senior made a run to the net, stopped on a dime and fired home her record-setting 58th career goal scoring the first of two goals that would lift the Bulldogs to a 2-0 win over the Chargers.
Vasconez scored both Ottumwa goals on Monday, becoming the second Bulldog girls soccer player to reach 20 goals in a single season. Besides becoming the first Ottumwa player to reach 59 career goals, scoring in the 13th minute of Monday's match, Vasconez moved within four goals of Mia Garza-Trejo's single-season program record 24 goals scored during her senior campaign in 2024. With two goals on Monday, Vasconez snapped the tie with Garza-Trejo created on Friday after scoring twice against Des Moines North for 57 career goals.
The Bulldogs improved to 5-5-1 on the season, winning the first of four matches in five days for Ottumwa with the next three matches coming on the road. The Bulldogs head to Marshalltown on Tuesday before heading to Cedar Rapids Jefferson on Thursday. Ottumwa closes out the busy week with a trip to Columbus/Winfield-Mount Union on Friday.