Improved Jordan team suffers early exit from playoffs

For head coach Sara Cowley, the season ended much too early for the Jordan girls soccer squad. After a successful 10-4-1 season, the Beetdiggers fell to Fremont in the first round of the 5A state championship Oct. 10.

“We had phenomenal team play this year, and a lot of girls stepped up and gave it their all,” Cowley said. “But in the end, we just couldn’t capitalize on the chances that were given to us, and so we couldn’t make it as far as we would have liked in the state competition.”

Improving from a 7–10 record last year, Cowley was happy to see the teamwork and camaraderie that the team seemed to find early in the 2011 season, winning six of its first seven games and ending the seventh, against Murray on Aug. 25, in a 3-3 tie.

“Our defense was really a strong point this year,” Cowley said. “Alyssa Jefferson and Whitney Tuckfield were two defenders who really worked hard to save some goals and shut down attacks against us.” Sophomore goalie McKayla Johnstone also saved goals this year, ending the season with four shutout games.

After the halfway point of the season, Jordan suffered some key losses in region play, against Alta on Sept. 1 (a 2-0 loss) and Brighton on Sept. 8 (a 1-0 loss). “We didn’t get those big wins in our region like we wanted to,” Cowley said. “We were trying to find a rhythm but it just seemed like we lost focus.”

Jordan placed third in the region behind Alta and Brighton. In the first round of the playoffs, despite the Beetdiggers’ high hopes of going deeper into the tournament this year, they lost to Fremont 2-1.

Though the teams were deadlocked at 1-1 heading late into the second half—thanks to a goal in the 16th minute by Jordan’s senior forward Krisha Arndt—Fremont’s Mikkell Minnoch broke the tie in the 76^th minute to send the Silver Wolves into the second round.

“Fremont made the most out of the chances they had, and we didn’t,” Cowley said. “It was a good game against a talented team, and we had a lot of shots that were close, but we just didn’t have any luck fall on our side.”

Despite the early exit from the playoffs, Cowley is looking forward to the potential that her team will have next year. “I’m pleased with the effort we gave and the style we played the game,” she said. “Our seniors went out proud, and our returning players are going to continue to improve. I wish the next season could start today.”

Cowley said that her team will have many juniors and sophomores returning as seniors and juniors next season.

“If we can step up our commitment to the attack and find scoring opportunities, we’ll reach our goal next year of having home-field in the playoffs and being able to win more games at state,” she said.