2012 Girls Soccer Capsule Previews

NORTHWEST LEAGUE

ARBOR VIEW
Head coach: Jay Howard, eighth season
2011-12 record: 13-2-3 (11-2-1 Northwest)
Returning letter winners (starters): Eight (Three)
Top players: MF Amberly Halstead (Sr.), D Kayla White (Sr.)
Outlook: The Aggies were hit hard by graduation and have only four seniors on the roster.

Halstead tallied three goals and three assists last year and tops the list of returnees.

“We are a young team with a lot of players moving from an undefeated junior varsity season,” Howard said.

PALO VERDE
Head coach: Frank Messina, sixth season
2011-12 record: 13-6-3 (11-3 Northwest)
Returning letter winners (starters): Nine (Five)
Top players: F Alexa D’Acunto (Sr.)
Outlook: The Panthers’ solid season last year ended in a hard-fought loss in the second round of the playoffs, but has the nine returnees seeking more this year.

“Last year’s expectations were extremely high and the loss of a few key seniors will not hinder the competitive edge often seen from this team,” Messina said. “Our goals each year are to win the Northwest League, take the region title and normally vie for the Southern Nevada championship, which instead now will include challenging for the first state title.

“Our expectations certainly have not changed, and even though the road to the final stage may involve additional hard work, the players are determined to meet their goals and to challenge each other along the way.”

SIERRA VISTA
Head coach: Ross Muir, first season
2011-12 record: 7-13-2 (7-5-2 Southwest)
Returning letter winners (starters): Eight (Six)
Top players: F Sophia Omidiji (So.), MF Courtney Shay (Jr.), D Sabrina Mallett (Jr.), GK Cypress Whipple (Sr.)
Outlook: Omidiji recorded 17 goals and two assists last year and will lead an offense that could be pretty talented.

“We have surrounded an experienced group of returns with an influx of youthful talent,” Muir said. “With the addition of new faces, my hope is to match the success of last year’s team and reach the playoffs. We are optimistic as we work toward the first playoff win in program history.”

SOUTHWEST LEAGUE

BISHOP GORMAN
Head coach: Doug Borgel, second season
2011-12 record: 16-3-3 (12-1-1 Southwest)
Returning letter winners: Five (Two)
Top players: F Madison Moore (Sr.), D Katie Turner (Sr.), MF Kaila Brinkman (Jr.), MF Claire Standaert (Jr.), D Carley Pasqualotto (Jr.)
Outlook: The Gaels bring back only two starters from a team that captured the Southern Nevada championship.

“Graduation and an unwillingness by a local soccer club to allow their players to play high school soccer has decimated the Gaels,” Borgel said. “The team will be comprised mostly of underclassmen with a few talented upperclassmen mixed in.

“While the team will be young, their goal will remain to be solid playoff contenders.”

CENTENNIAL
Head coach: Jay Jenne, first season
2011-12 record: 11-4-2 (9-3-2 Northwest)
Returning letter winners (starters): SIx (Six)
Top players: MF Paris Gonzales (Sr.), MF Hannah Alba (Jr.), MF Danielle Farano (Jr.), D Jasmine Freeman (Sr.), MF Samantha McLaughlin (Sr.)

Outlook: The Bulldogs bring back only six starters and welcome in a new coach after finishing fourth in an ultra-competitive Northwest League last year.

“We want to make the playoffs and hopefully advance to the final rounds,” Jenne said.

CIMARRON-MEMORIAL
Head coach: Starlyn Thomas, first season
2011-12 record: 5-7-2 (5-7-2 Northwest)
Returning letter winners (starters): Seven (Five)
Top players: F/MF Tessa Sanchez (Sr.), F/D Ryann Abeyta (Sr.), F/MF Maxene Fehlman (Jr.), F/MF Kaycee Luke (Sr.), D Ivy Frech (So.), MF Jazmin Centeno (Fr.)
Outlook: Thomas inherits a team with five returning letter winners.

“We have a strong base coming back and a young team,” Thomas said. “We are looking to get back into the playoff picture. The girls will be working hard on and off the field giving 100 percent. I am looking forward for a great season.”

DESERT OASIS
Head coach: Charity Cress, fifth season
2011-12 record: 9-8-2 (8-4-2 Southwest)
Returning letter winners (starters): 13 (10)
Top players: MF Lynsey Hutchins (Sr.), F Megan Stanton (Sr.), MF Kylee Beauford (Jr.)

Outlook: The Diamondbacks return 10 starters from a team that finished third in the Southwest last season and has improved every year since the program’s inception.

Hutchins tallied five goals and seven assists last season and should help to lead an offense that likely will be a bit more powerful.

“This is finally the year the Diamondbacks have more upperclassmen than underclassmen,” Cress said. “This should be our best year yet. With senior leadership, 10 returning starters and a very competitive league, this will be a fun and exciting year for Desert Oasis.”

LEGACY
Head coach: Sydney Salyer, first season
2011-12 record: 2-12 (2-12 Northwest)
Returning letter winners (starters): Two (Two)
Outlook: Salyer inherits a team that is almost completely new.
“This is a building season,” Salyer said. “We have high hopes for a positive season.”

NORTHEAST LEAGUE

CANYON SPRINGS
Head coach: Benjamin LaCombe, fourth season
2011-12 record: 5-7-2 (5-7-2 Northeast)
Returning letter winners (starters): Seven (Seven)
Top players: MF DIamond Larson (Sr.), F Rosaura Guerrero, GK Jazmin Leon
Outlook: The Pioneers narrowly missed qualifying for the postseason last year, and bring back seven starters.

Guerrero tallied seven goals, and Larson added three goals and five assists for Canyon Springs, which also returns Leon in goal.

“With most of our varsity starters coming back, we expect to have a united and well-balanced team,” LaCombe said. “Our expectations are to make the playoffs for the first time in school history.”

GREEN VALLEY
Head coach: Roy Snyder, third season
2011-12 record: 21-5-3 (12-0-2 Southeast)
Returning letter winners (starters): Eight (Five)
Top players: D Nicole Westover (Sr.), F Kayla Anderson (Jr.), F Lauren Avecilla (Jr.), MF Cayla Imahara (Sr.)
Outlook: The Gators were hit hard by graduation, losing nine seniors from the state runner-up squad, but return one of the top defenders in Southern Nevada in Westover.

“We will be much younger this year after consecutive years of large graduating classes,” Snyder said. “The five freshmen on the roster is the most for Green Valley since 2009.”

Also back is Anderson, who notched 11 goals and 10 assists last season. Avecilla tallied seven goals and six assists two years ago and sat out last season due to injury.

Imahara is back after spending last year in California.

“The addition of several experienced players who are new or returning to the program after a year away should allow us to fill some big holes,” Snyder said. “This season will present a number of challenges, but this team still faces high expectations and should be able to compete for a fourth straight league championship.

“With so many underclassmen on the roster and new additions to the team, it will take some time to put all the pieces together, but we hope to have the team intact and playing at a high level by the time league play begins.”

LAS VEGAS
Head coach: Steve Bowden, first season
2011-12 record: 10-6-3 (9-3-2 Northeast)
Returning letter winners (starters): 10 (Eight)
Top players: D Brynn Bowden (Sr.), MF Mariel Hundley (Sr.), D Gabriela Morales (Jr.), F Mackenzie McCoy (So.), F Kara Bowden (So.)
Outlook: The Wildcats placed second in the Northeast last season and welcome back eight starters.

“Our goal is to have a more consistent regular season and be playing strong soccer come playoffs,” coach Bowden said.

SOUTHEAST LEAGUE
ELDORADO
Head coach: David Ostler, first season
2011-12 record: 16-2-1 (13-0-1 Northeast)
Returning letter winners (starters): 12 (Eight)
Top players: SWP Brandy Sanchez (Sr.), MF Kimberly Olivares (Jr.), MF Jacquie Avilla (Jr.), F Cristal Mendoza (So.)
Outlook: The Sundevils are coming off a banner season, in which they captured the Northeast League title, but could face a rougher road in the Southeast this year.

The loss of Alexis Sama, who led the team in goals and assists, to graduation will not be easy to overcome.

“We return a lot of players, but we need players to step up offensively,” Ostler said.

FOOTHILL
Head coach: Cynthia Guzman, second season
2011-12 record: 8-7-5 (5-5-4 Southwest)
Returning letter winners (starters): 10 (Seven)
Top players: MF Jilian Vigil (So.), MF Katherine Ballou (Fr.)
Outlook: The Falcons narrowly missed the postseason last year, finishing one point out of a tie for third place.

With seven starters back, a trip to the postseason seems doable.

“We are still a very young team, very talented and driven,” Guzman said. “We are consistently working together as a team and bringing all the magic pieces together.

“I have high expectations of this year’s team and making regionals is definitely our goal. We have added five freshmen to our roster this year, and they are transitioning very well into our program.”

LIBERTY
Head coach: Michael Eshragh Sr., first season
2011-12 record: 9-7-2 (6-6-2 Southeast)
Returning letter winners (starters): Nine (Seven)
Outlook: The Patriots are hoping to make a return trip to the postseason, but will be awfully young after losing two seniors to graduation and two top scorers to club soccer.

"We are a very young team, maybe one senior on the team,” Eshragh said. “I promise we will fight every game and give 110 percent effort.”

DIVISION I-A SUNSET LEAGUE

CHEYENNE
Head coach: Juan Bahena, fourth season
2011-12 record: 7-9-2 (4-8-2 Northwest)
Returning letter winners (starters): 11 (Nine)
Top players: MF/F Adrianna Basin, F Deborah Chinchilla (Sr.), D Jazelle Erives (Sr.), D/MF Priscilla Hernandez (Sr.), D Daniella Rodriguez (Sr.), MF Mackenzie Smith (Sr.), GK/MF Clara Zamora (Sr.)
Outlook: The Desert Shields’ core group of seniors have played together for the past four seasons and are hoping to make their final year the best yet.

Basin recorded 13 goals and five assists, and is back along with Smith (10 goals, nine assists) and Chinchilla (eight goals, six assists) to lead the offense.

“The majority of our players are those same players that we picked up four years ago and who were baptized by fire,” Bahena said. “They are the players that we will be looking at and expecting to lead this team.

“Since this is the end of a cycle, we want to make this year count. We expect our team to earn a playoff spot and hopefully do a good job. We will do our best not to disappoint our fans, our parents and our school.”

CLARK
Head coach: Liz Case, sixth season
2011-12 record: 5-13-2 (4-8-2 Southwest)
Returning letter winners (starters): Five (Five)
Outlook: The Chargers lost six starters, but are optimistic this season.

“I expect our team to do well,” Case said. “We have a great group of girls who are hard workers and who don’t give up. With this work ethic and attitude, I am expecting them to go far.

“Our goal is to make it to the playoffs and do well in the playoffs as well.”

FAITH LUTHERAN
Head coach: Steve Morrill, third season
2011-12 record: 12-6-1
Returning letter winners (starters): 10 (Eight)
Top players: GK Kelly Zufall (Sr.), MF/F Arianna Weide (Sr.), MF/F Danielle Tharaldson (Jr.), MF/F Morgan Bracey (Jr.), D Kendall Pori (Jr.)
Outlook: The Crusaders could be primed for a big season with eight starters back from last year’s squad.

Tharaldson tallied 13 goals, and Bracey and Pori each scored six goals last season.

Zufall, who recorded nine shutouts, returns to guide the defense.

“I’m expecting us to have a good season,” Morrill said. “Most of our starters are back from last season, and we’ve added a couple upperclassmen and freshmen who will contribute right away.

“We’re excited to have the opportunity to play new schools with the recent changes to Nevada high school athletics, and look forward to the challenges that will bring.”

WESTERN
Head coach: Michael Lillo, first season
2011-12 record: 0-12-3 (0-12-2 Southwest)
Returning letter winners (starters): Eight (Five)
Top players: MF/D Celina Agustin (Sr.), MF/F Frida Herrera (Jr.), F Amanda Jennings (Sr.), D Paola Ortiz (Jr.), MF Cierra Ritter (So.)
Outlook: The Warriors struggled last season and return only five starters.

“We are hoping to improve as a team and to compete for a spot in the playoffs,” Lillo said.

DIVISION I-A SUNRISE LEAGUE

DESERT PINES
Head coach: C.J. Johnson, third season
2011-12 record: 2-12-2 (1-11-2 Northeast)
Returning letter winners (starters): Six (Six)
Top players: MF Caty Gonzales (Sr.), MF Saida Villanueva (Sr.), D McKenna Anchondo (Sr.), MF Maria Soto (Jr.), MF Selena Rodriguez (So.), MF Genessis Martinez (So.), GK Martha Gandarilla (Fr.), D Yadira Hernandez (Fr.)
Outlook: The Jaguars struggled last season and return six starters.

“We are looking forward to joining the new division and being competitive,” Johnson said. “Injuries were a big factor in last season’s losing record, but the girls kept playing hard and hope to carry that attitude into the 2012 season.”

TECH
Head coach: Josh Jones, 12th season
2011-12 record: 6-9-3 (4-7-3 Southeast)
Returning letter winners (starters): Seven (Five)
Top players: D/MF Alex Guzman (Jr.), F/MF Susan Melian (Sr.), D Gabby Guzman (Sr.), MF Monica Figerora (So.)
Outlook: The Roadrunners were hit hard by graduation, and don’t have a lot of proven scorers back.

Alex Guzman registered five goals and five assists, and Gabby Guzman added three goals last year.

“The team will be looking for some younger players to step in and fill the void left by the seniors,” Jones said. “The team has a solid core of players and will look to compete for a playoff spot.”