It’s the third win in a row for MHS (7-4) and the first home victory of the season in three tries.

“I know our freshman year, when we had one win, we would have never thought we’d get this far,” Huffman said. “It means a lot for us to be on a winning streak, especially going into prom.”

Huffman lined up for a penalty kick 11 minutes into the second half after Hoover committed a handball foul in the goal box and buried it in the right side of the net for the goal.

Huffman leads the state in penalty kicks made with four made on four attempts.

T-R PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER - Marshalltown’s Alexia Garcia (6) takes a shot on goal during the second half of Thursday’s soccer match at Leonard Cole Field.

“I knew I had to make it so I could lead the state,” Huffman said. “I’m glad it happened. … With soccer, games can go any which way, but one person eventually has to get it in the back of the net and I’m glad it was us.”

The score was almost a relief for a Marshalltown team that dominated possession in the game but had nothing to show for it at halftime.

“We were too concerned with getting the ball in the net instead of finding the better pass, the better shot, the better angle,” Garcia said. “I think that’s what we did better in the second half, just remembering that it’s not all about you.”

Garcia’s persistence at taking those shots when she had the right look paid off in the final minutes of the second half, firing a rocket into the top-right corner of the goal to put any chance of a late Hoover equalizer to rest.

The goal now ties her with McKenna Coleman and Huffman, with all three having four goals each so far this season to pace the Bobcat offense.

“For the longest time, she was the player that wanted to beat someone in a footrace,” MHS head coach Stacy Galema said of Garcia. “She’s really worked on her footwork and ball skills in the last year and a half as kind of a center-mid type of position, which is where she scored from today at the top of the box after the keeper made a nice save on a shot from her just before that. It was good to see her still try to find that shot.”

The Huskies spent a lot of time on their own defensive half, but when they did try to break through Huffman and the Bobcat defense turned them away quickly.

“It didn’t really do us any good to kick it out against this team when they were pressing back so far,” Huffman said. “We just tried to play to feet and push up that way. … I think we did a lot better in connecting passes through the middle and trying to switch the fields to try and trick their defense.”

Prom fever has swept through this senior-heavy group, but Galema hopes the girls can get one good practice in before a very busy week at Leonard Cole Field next week.

The Bobcats take on Humboldt on Monday, Des Moines Lincoln on Tuesday for Senior Night and then welcome South Tama/East Marshall on Friday.

“It’s a busy time of year,” Galema said. “But from freshman up to seniors we’re just making sure we keep a routine. Tomorrow will be a big day to recap on this win and build up for next week.”