Grundy Center/Gladbrook-Reinbeck senior defender Stuart Whitehill (12) clears the ball with a header as Hudson’s Oswaldo Gomez (7) challenges during this past Monday’s soccer match in Reinbeck. The new No. 1 team in Class 1A, GC/G-R blanked the ninth-ranked Pirates 4-0. PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER

REINBECK — Grundy Center/Gladbrook-Reinbeck boys soccer’s new spot at No. 1 in the Class 1A rankings is only motivating the Rebels further.

“We know everyone’s gonna come for us,” GC/G-R senior captain Tyler Nolder said. “It makes us want to work a little bit harder.”

And while the start to the week was a little more sluggish than the Rebels would have liked, the end result was a 4-0 win over Hudson at Gladbrook-Reinbeck High School this past Monday night in a clash between two top-10 teams in the state.

Hudson (6-2) entered the game ranked ninth by the Iowa High School Soccer Coaches Association, but was the latest in a string of six consecutive shutouts for GC/G-R (9-0), outscoring opponents 45-0 in that stretch.

The defensive unit of Grundy Center students Cooper Hoy, Austin Betts, Stuart Whitehill, Clay Saak and Dylan Knaack are no strangers to big moments like Monday’s game, and it showed, said GC/G-R head coach Jon Dinsdale.

Grundy Center/Gladbrook-Reinbeck junior Dylan Knaack (10) sends a pass up the field in front of Hudson’s Jackson Colsch (8) during this past Monday’s soccer match in Reinbeck. PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER

“They make [goalkeeper] Max Anderson look really, really good, because he doesn’t really have to do anything,” Dinsdale said. “They’re really stepping up and they just keep getting better.”

Anderson snagged four saves on Monday, to his credit, but GC/G-R did keep business on the attacking side of the pitch for most of the game.

Seven minutes in, the Pirates sustained an early gut punch when a Tyler Nolder throw-in was a little too high for the Hudson keeper, bouncing off the tips of his fingers and into the back of the net for a Hudson own goal and an early 1-0 lead.

“You don’t really expect that when you throw-in, just hope that somebody gets a head on it,” Nolder said. “But it worked out.”

But that was still the score at halftime, as GC/G-R was solid with possessing the ball but lacked the finishes in the first half.

“I could tell we were a little off, we were just a little nervous,” Dinsdale said. “Being number one in our class is a lot to take in because it’s very, very strong. We just need to get stronger and get more comfortable with being in that position. I keep telling these guys ‘You’re number one for a reason. So let’s play like that.'”

Nine minutes into the second half, GC/G-R had their first offensive goal of the game after Jacob Hoy kicked in a nifty finish off an assist from Tyler Nolder.

That got the Rebels rolling downhill, and about 15 minutes later Nolder sent in a ball that was quickly crossed over from Dylan Knaack to the waiting head of Hoy who punched in his second goal of the night on the header.

“We definitely practice those a lot,” Hoy said of the heads-up tally. “I was really excited when that went in.”

Hoy, along with his brother, Cooper, are mainly track boys in Grundy, but Dinsdale is always glad to put them out on the field when the brothers aren’t running hurdles together.

“They’re a huge benefit to the team,” Dinsdale said. “Jacob Hoy, definitely player of the game with some awesome finishes, just a huge development over the last year to where he’s come now.”

Aiden Hunemuller put the cherry on top with five minutes left, punching in a point-blank goal in traffic after a pass in from Nolder, who finished with three assists-or four if you count the “assist” on the own goal.

Hunemuller, like Nolder, is one of the team’s captains along with Austin Betts — and the trio keeps the high-flying Rebels grounded.

“They keep us accountable,” Jacob Hoy said. “Make sure that we’re coming to practice on time, always working hard and giving it our all.”

After a five-game homestand, it’s time for GC/G-R to hit the road for their next four matches.

“You have to rest up when you have the opportunity,” Dinsdale said of prepping for this road trip. “They need the right foods, the right drinks, and keeping them ready to go. And we’ve got the subs if we need them.”

Five of the last six regular-season games are on the road, including a May 12 rematch at Hudson.

“We just need to keep our head up, figure out how to run and get the ball in the back of the net up front, and we’ll be good,” Nolder said.