STATE TOURNAMENT: Goalkeeper’s return buoys Trojan girls

Goalkeeper Madzia DeSalvo spent only one year on Pahrump Valley’s girls soccer team.

The Trojans are glad she did.

DeSalvo, who returned to Pahrump from Illinois the summer before her senior year, has helped the Trojans (14-1-1) to their first Class 4A state tournament, which begins at 4 p.m. Friday against Galena at Damonte Ranch in Reno.

Carson faces Douglas in the other semifinal at 6 p.m., with the winners returning to play at noon Satuday.

A senior, DeSalvo didn’t let being a first-year player affect her production on the field.

“This is my first year with them,” said DeSalvo, a team captain who has posted 12 shutouts. “I know what they’ve wanted, and we’ve been working for (a state berth) for so many years, from what I’ve heard and from when I lived here before.”

DeSalvo attended a private school in Pahrump as a freshman and then went to Stillman Valley (Ill.) for two years before returning in the summer. During her absence, the Trojans faced several North teams, losing to Bishop Manogue, Reed and Truckee in the 2009 Galena tournament. But DeSalvo has yet to face a Nevada team from outside the South.

“I came back from a school where I was taken shots at, and here ... it was Faith (Lutheran) that gave me a lot of my practice,” she said. “I don’t know what I’m ready for in Reno — I’ve heard a lot about them, but hopefully I’m ready for them.

“I just want it to be a good game.”

Fourth-year coach Greg Leseberg said the team’s strength has been in its midfield play but didn’t downplay DeSalvo’s contributions in helping the team allow only seven goals all year — five to Faith Lutheran and two to River Valley (Ariz.).

“She came up big, and her size alone was huge,” Leseberg said of the 5-foot-8-inch goalkeeper. “At that size, it’s intimidating to a lot players at times.”

The senior keeper’s biggest conributions came in last week’s penalty-kick win over Faith Lutheran, the Trojans’ first triumph over their rivals since moving to 4A three years ago. DeSalvo stopped Faith Lutheran’s fourth penalty kick, leading to a 5-3 shootout win after the teams finished the double-overtime match tied, 2-2.

The win gave Pahrump plenty of confidence as it heads north.

“We’ve prepared. We’ve been practicing since June, and we’ve got a new team,” said forward Sydney Sladek, who notched the first match-tying goal in the play-in match. “I think preparation will help us a lot.

“We just beat the toughest team we’re going to play out here (in Faith Lutheran), so I think we’re ready to play other teams. They’re our rivals, and we haven’t beat them in forever.”

A win on Friday against the Grizzlies would continue Pahrump’s breakthrough season in the state’s top classification.

“We’re looking to get to the championship game, for sure,” Leseberg said. “They’re tough up there, but they haven’t seen this team. We didn’t lose by a lot when we went up there (last year), but this is a team that can do it.

“We’re a totally different team. I understand that we’re young, too,” added Leseberg, who starts four freshmen. “But we feel like we match up really well against them, and we expect nothing but a win from the Galena game.”

 

In the Class 3A boys tournament at Mesquite, Boulder City (11-7-1) battles South Tahoe in one semifinal, and Sparks takes on Truckee in the other, both at 4 p.m. on Friday. The championship match is Saturday at 10 a.m.

 

In the Class 3A girls tournament also at Mesquite, Boulder City (10-5) faces Elko (19-5-1) in one semifinal, and South Tahoe meets Truckee in the other, both at 6 p.m. on Friday. The championship match is Saturday at noon.