The Bobcats return three of their top five goal scorers from last year, led by senior McKenna Coleman’s eight tallies last spring.

“We knew all offseason and these last two weeks of lead-up that our offense is pretty strong,” MHS head coach Stacy Galema said. “Our defense, we have a lot of things to figure out.”

The first 20 minutes of Monday’s game were played mostly in the middle of the field, but a sequence started by a ball put into play by Coleman eventually fell to the foot of Claire Bonzer, and the Bobcat freshman delivered her first varsity goal with 17 minutes left to halftime.

“That’s great to have these freshmen girls not be shy to take those shots, especially at the 18[-yard box],” Coleman said. “We’ve said that when these girls are open, go ahead and shoot and she took that opportunity.”

T-R PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER - Marshalltown sophomore goalkeeper Sophia Valdez Chavez (0) makes a leaping save during the first half of Monday’s season-opening soccer match against Newton at Leonard Cole Field.

Newton’s best scoring chance came in the minutes that followed as the Cardinals pushed for a counterattack, spearheaded by freshman Sophia Coady. A Newton direct kick just outside the penalty area was deflected out of the air by MHS keeper Sophia Valdez Chavez, ricocheting off the crossbar behind her and falling in front of her goal, but the Bobcats were able to fend off any Newton attempts at the rebound.

The teams went into halftime with Marshalltown up 1-0.

“I think we realized that we should have had a lot more opportunities in the first half when we were controlling the ball,” Galema said. “… And our defense just hasn’t played together a lot yet, but throughout the game I think we got out spacing down and weren’t so wide on the field, and having Gisell Hernandez back there in the second half she was able to help our younger players figure that out, having her and Jorja [Janssen] back there with a ton of experience we were really able to crowd them and keep them going forward.”

The offensive tide turned more and more in the second half, with Coleman earning a PK after a Newton foul in the penalty area that she easily deposited for her first goal of the senior season and a 2-0 lead with 27 minutes remaining.

Coleman is one of two senior co-captains this year along with Kenya Gomez Reyes. Gissel Hernandez Ibarra, Yuri Ramirez Rosas and Stefani Gutierrez are also seniors on the Bobcat roster.

“As soon as they blew that whistle and gave me that I knew it was game on,” Coleman said. “I think we rushed a lot in the first half, and just knowing that we have time to settle and look and pass, that’s mainly what we needed to do and we really did that in the second half.”

The Bobcat roster is split almost evenly between under and upperclassmen, with a lot of returning experience in the middle and front of the Bobcat formation.

“We have a lot of different types of offensive players,” Galema said. “Some are very crafty with the ball, willing to take on one-on-ones, some are willing to take shots from distance, or find each other inside the box for a better opportunity. They play very well together, a lot of them have grown up together and just know where each other are and it’s fun to see them enjoy that success.”

MHS plays a varsity only game with Central Iowa United on Thursday at Leonard Cole Field.

“We’re just trying to make this season count,” Coleman said of the senior group’s mentality. “We don’t get to do this again next year, so we want everyone on the mission and moving forward and building off what we did today.”