Pella Christian Girls Soccer Aims High With Tough Schedule

The Eagles will face several higher-class opponents in pursuit of a breakthrough season.

Mar. 29, 2026 at 3:58pm

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The Pella Christian girls soccer team is looking to use a challenging schedule featuring 15 games against a mix of Class 1A, 2A, and 3A opponents to help them reach new heights this spring. Head coach Matt Dowie believes the tough matchups will provide valuable experience and motivation for his players to elevate their game to the next level.

Why it matters

Pella Christian, competing in Class 1A, is taking an ambitious approach by scheduling several games against larger schools. This strategy aims to better prepare the team for postseason play and push them to new levels of performance, even if it means some early-season losses against tougher competition.

The details

The Eagles' 15-game schedule includes just 7 matchups against other Class 1A teams, with the remaining 8 games coming against 2A and 3A opponents. Coach Dowie believes exposing his players to higher-level competition will help them understand what it takes to reach that caliber of play and inspire them to make the necessary improvements.

  • The Pella Christian girls soccer team begins the season on Friday, March 28, 2026 with a 1 pm home, non-conference game against Albia.

The players

Matt Dowie

The head coach of the Pella Christian girls soccer team, who believes a challenging schedule will help his players elevate their game.

Pella Christian Girls Soccer Team

The Class 1A team that is taking on a rigorous schedule featuring several higher-classification opponents in pursuit of a breakthrough season.

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What they’re saying

“They are beneficial, as long as we can kind of keep the mental aspect of it for the girls. I think if they understand the value in seeing programs that are maybe good and tough games for us, like this is where we want to be and this is how they do things, can we do similar things to kind of get to that level.”

— Matt Dowie, Head Coach

What’s next

The Pella Christian girls soccer team will open their season on Friday, March 28, 2026 against Albia. Their challenging schedule will continue throughout the spring as they face several higher-class opponents in pursuit of a breakthrough season.

The takeaway

Pella Christian's ambitious scheduling strategy demonstrates their commitment to pushing their girls soccer program to new heights. By taking on tougher competition, the team hopes to gain valuable experience and motivation to elevate their game, even if it means some early-season setbacks against more established programs.