WAUKEE - In a tight, back and forth game that saw multiple lead changes, West Des Moines Valley eventually pulled away from Waukee in the second half, winning the game 4-2. In a high octane affair, both teams were up for the game and looking like they had something to prove. It was a game for the neutral fan with quick passing, tough tackles and of course, lots of goals. Actual supporters of both teams were in for a real nail-biter. Waukee opened the goal scoring action in the 20th minute from a corner kick that resulted in a goal from freshman Haley Horman. Their lead wouldn’t last long, however, as Valley immediately responded with a goal from junior Abbey VanWyngarden to make it 1-1. It was then Valley’s turn to take the lead when senior Libby Helverson was the quickest to react after the Warrior goalkeeper wasn’t able to corral a stinging shot from 25 yards out. The second half opened with a little drama after the referee awarded Waukee a penalty kick less than 10 minutes after the break. Junior Allie Williams stepped up and made no mistake, giving her Warriors a lifeline by leveling the score at 2. The Warriors possession soccer and ability to play out of the back kept them in the game, but ultimately, Valley’s speed on the wings through Helverson and junior Meg Nelson became too much. The game-winning goal in the 49th minute was a study of that statement. A turnover in the middle of the park left Waukee stretched as Helverson picked up the ball burst into space down the left side of the field. An excellent diagonal pass was met at the back post by an opportunistic run from Nelson, who fired home a thunderous header. This made it 3-2 for Valley. The game continued to provide goal scoring opportunities and some really good soccer, but for all of the quality, the goal scoring action would end in the 55th minute from a VanWyngarden cross that ended up in the back of the net leaving Valley victorious at the final score line of 4-2. It will be interesting to see what the result will do to the rankings, but likely we’ll be looking at a swap of rankings bumping Valley to number one and Waukee dropping to number two. Both the Tigers and the Warriors have have a big road trips ahead of them this weekend as they travel to Burlington for matches against some non-CIML opponents. Be sure to check out the Kick It Forward Twitter feed @kick_forward and Facebook page @kickitforwardia for highlights of the game.