Warrior, Cougar soccer teams enjoy breakthroughs
Regardless of how the remainder of their seasons plays out, Taylorsville and Kearns High’s girls soccer squads have had reason to celebrate. While the Warriors have already equaled last year’s win total, the Cougars snapped a 48-game losing streak that had stretched over five seasons.
Taylorsville has done it with scoring and defense. The Warriors have outscored opponents 37-12 (18-4 in region) during their 6-3 start. Natasha Howard (13), Abi Black (11) and Arica Pfeil (7) have combined for 31 goals, while Taylor Turpin and Natasha Debenedictis each have two goals.
Meanwhile, Kearns hadn’t won a girls soccer game since the end of the 2007 season. Since then, the Cougars had two 0-15 seasons and one 0-14 year before defeating Cyprus 1-0 on Aug. 16.
Taylorsville
The Warriors’ dramatic change is evidenced by their ability to win close games this season. Taylorsville has gone 3-1 in overtime games, defeating West Jordan 2-1, Copper Hills 1-0 and Herriman 4-3 in consecutive games. Highland stopped that streak with a 2-1 victory.
Though Howard, Black and Pfeil each had impressive seasons last year, nothing compares to this year. Howard and Pfeil have already surpassed last year’s individual goal totals in 16 games, while Black needed just four more scores to better her mark of 14 last season. The team itself is just seven goals short of tying its entire total from last season (44) – in seven fewer games.
Taylorsville has also defeated Cyprus 10-0, Kearns 10-0 and Granger 8-0, and lost to Cottonwood 2-1 and Viewmont 4-0 as of our press deadline.
Howard had four goals against both Granger and Cyprus and recorded a hat trick against Kearns. Black also had four goals against Granger and a hat trick against Cyprus. Pfeil has tallied two goals apiece against Kearns and West Jordan to lead Taylorsville (2-1 Region 2).
Domicillia Mayoral and Emii Taylor each have one goal this season while Daysha Filipe and Julie Maka have combined for four shutouts in goal.
The Warriors were scheduled to play Hunter on Sept. 13 and West on Sept. 15.
Kearns
Several years of misery ended when Melissa Bouttavong provided the lone score against Cyprus. Since then, however, the Cougars have been unable to carry over the momentum.
Following losses to Stansbury (3-0) and Tooele (4-2) and the win over Cyprus to start the season, Kearns has lost its last five games by a combined score of 37-0. Pleasant Grove (8-0), West Jordan (6-0), Taylorsville (10-0), West (8-0) and Hunter (5-0) each made the Cougars’ celebration short-lived.
Bouttavong has two goals this season and Dania Rodriquez one for Kearns (0-3 region, 1-7 overall), which has been outscored 44-3 thus far. Sheyenne Johnson has one shutout in goal.
The Cougars were to play at Viewmont on Sept. 13 and against Granger on Sept. 15.
