SUNSET GIRLS SOCCER: Aggies get defensive to take title

Jay Howard was asked about his team’s dominant defense and the Arbor View girls soccer coach snickered.

“The funny thing is,” Howard explained, “through the preseason we were giving up goals.”

Not anymore.

Bailee Davis and Lexi Epley provided the offense, and the Aggies limited high-scoring Bishop Gorman to four shots on goal in a 2-0 victory in the Sunset Region final Saturday at Heritage Park.

Arbor View (14-1-4), the defending state champion, advances to the Division I state tournament at Carson City and will play the No. 1 seed from the North on Friday.

“I’m proud of the girls,” Howard said. “It’s hard to do it twice in row against such good teams in our region.”

The Aggies allowed four goals in their first five matches, and Howard decided to tweak his team’s defensive system after the Las Vegas Kick-Off. Since then, Arbor View has given up one goal in 14 games.

The Gaels (15-1) came in averaging more than five goals per game and figured to test Arbor View’s back line, but Gorman didn’t generate a quality chance until the 27th minute when Arlie Jones dragged a shot wide of the goal.

“We lost one game all year, and it’s unfortunate it’s this one,” Gaels coach Doug Borgel said. “We never got it going today. It was probably the worst game we’ve played all year, and I attribute a lot of that to Arbor View.

“Our strength is up top, and their strength is their defense. Those two powers collided, and they won that battle.”

The Aggies broke through in the seventh minute as Breanna Larkin was fouled at the top of the box and Davis buried the free kick from about 20 yards out.

“I think that early goal was big for them,” Borgel said. “We’re a front-running team.”

Gorman controlled play for the final 15 minutes of the first half, with the best chance coming in the 33rd minute as Kaila Brinkman forced Arbor View goalkeeper Kylie Wallace into a diving save.

The momentum carried into the second half as Gaels had two good chances early. Daisy Cabrera’s header from close range sailed over the crossbar in the 44th minute and Brinkman’s left-footed drive in the 50th minute was smothered by Wallace.

“Their forwards are really good,” Howard said. “Any time they have the ball on their feet, as coaches we take a deep breath. A one-goal lead is not safe against that team.”

Epley gave the Aggies some breathing room in the 69th minute when she headed home a beautiful cross from the left wing by Katelyn Laurente.

Jessica Anaya had nine saves to help keep Gorman in the match.

“Every year we have four goals: Make the playoffs, win our division, win region and win state,” Howard said. “So, this is a big deal. It’s hard to do those first three.”