By Joshua Potratz Sports Editor
The Varsity Girls Soccer team is looking to rebound from a rough season last year that was made even worse due to COVID-19.
The team went 0-8 in last year’s shortened season but are a lot more optimistic about this season. There are now many more games including preseason and tournaments.
The team has also gone through some major changes. They are now much younger on average comprising five seniors, six juniors, eight sophomores, and one freshman. This is because Coach Jordan Smith has decided to value raw skill more than seniority, which is a risky move but is beginning to pay off.
After losing their first game against West Campus 4-0, the Eagles played in the Grizzly Cup tournament and absolutely dominated.
On Friday, Dec 10, the Eagles defeated the El Dorado Cougars by a score of 2-1. Alexis Geary (‘22) and Ashley Guerrero (‘22) both scored goals in the game and Natalie Berryman (‘22) had the only assist recorded.
They then played the Bear River Bruins which ended with a score of 3-0. Geary scored all three of these goals and Berryman once again came through with two assists. This win qualified them for the championship game the next day.
They played against Bradshaw Christian and the game remained scoreless as the time expired. The game then went into overtime where the Eagles were able to pull through and win by a score of 2-0. Avery Cox (‘25) and Eileen Salinas (‘24) scored the winning goals that helped the Eagles take home the trophy.
Not only is this a big win for the Eagles, but this tournament is the last set of games before league starts. One player who thinks that this is an important stepping stone is Kadence Pappas (‘22) who was also named player of the game against El Dorado.
“We played a lot better than we normally do, it boosted our confidence and I feel like we just worked better as a team together,” Pappas said.
Pappas hopes that this win proves that they can be effective in league against harder teams. Another player that shares similar beliefs is Sara Sorenson (‘22).
“It gives us a little bit of hope for the rest of the season,” Sorenson said.
Both Sorenson and Pappas are optimistic about the rest of the season and are looking forward to taking their last season of their highschool career.
“I think we have a serious chance of making playoffs,” Sorenson added.
She is no stranger to the playoffs as of just two years ago, she was on the varsity team that went deep into the playoffs and finished first place in division championships. She hopes to replicate that season this year and make it as far as she can into the playoffs.
The Eagles will play their first league game against the Rio Americano Raiders in a highly anticipated rivalry match on January 6. They will play eight league games and the top three teams in the league make the playoffs.
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