By GANNON HANEVOLD
Moapa Valley Progress
Early last season, there was a lot of momentum for the Pirates girls soccer team. They were poised to make the postseason and end their three year skid without a playoff berth.
Despite losing one of their key players due to injury in the preseason, the team found a way to achieve its goals and they girls actually made the playoffs. But the Pirates fell in a tiebreaker game in the first round.
Now, this season, the Pirate expectations have again been elevated!
Lexi Schraft returns from last year’s season-ending leg injury and joins fellow captain Bailey Bunker and goalkeeper Jessica Leon as some of the seniors who are in position to lead Moapa Valley farther than ever.
Head coach Lisa Cornwall said, “We are feeling really good. The girls’ goal is to win division. Honestly, they have all the capabilities in the world to do it.”
With much of last year’s team still intact for this season, so is their unbreakable team chemistry. This puts the Pirates in a better position than ever for success.
“We still kept our core together,” Cornwall said. “Team chemistry is something we strongly encourage. We want them to feel like a family. It has been one of our strong suits. That chemistry is back again. Where sometimes we may falter, I expect that to be what brings us back.”
Moapa Valley junior and one of the team’s leaders in the defensive backfield, Lainey Cornwall, said, “We like to keep each other positive and being a close knit team helps us be able to help each other out.”
Bailey Bunker added that this year’s team feels unique compared to others in years past. “A lot of us have been playing together for quite a few years now,” she said. “But this year everything seems to have clicked right from the start.”
Coach Cornwall said there is a new sort of spark in each of the players this season, so much so that they’ve even coined a name for it. “Everyone is starting at a higher level than they were last year,” Cornwall said. “The girls are running on what they call ‘beast mode’. It’s kind of their thing. They’ve got a shirt and everything.”
Bunker described that as well, saying, “It’s like there is a new energy on the field. We are all committed to putting in the work and doing what it takes to win big this year.”
Cornwall said two of the team’s biggest strengths this year should be their depth, and their physical endurance. Half of the team is able to run a mile in under seven and a half minutes, she said.
“That hasn’t happened before,” Cornwall added. “Usually I have times all over the place.”
The coach is also excited about the team’s talent off the bench this season. “We have a very deep bench,” she said. “We go to the next player, and they’re just as good. It’s important to have that because now we can rest players and feel okay. I feel more confident.”
Jessica Leon will be in the net for the Pirates this year for the second season in a row. Leon said she has been working on improving for this year. “I have focused on anticipating where the ball is going and not being scared to throw myself to the ground to block a shot,” she said.
The players seem to all be optimistic for this season, as it looks to be a year with potentially massive success.
“We are super excited to start the season and hopefully improve from last year because we know we are capable,” said Lainey Cornwall.
Bunker added a positive outlook of her own, saying, “All that hard work is starting to pay off and I have a feeling this is going to be one of the best seasons yet.”
The Pirates kick off what should be a thrilling season in the Mesquite Cup this Friday night, with their first game coming against Las Vegas.
MVHS 2017 Girls Soccer Season Schedule
JV Varsity
Aug 25-26 TBA Mesquite Cup
Aug 28 5:30 4:00 Mojave
Aug 30 3:00 4:30 Sunrise Mtn
Sep 05 4:30 3:00 SECTA
Sep 07 3:00 4:30 Chaparral
Sep 08 3:00 4:30 Rancho
Sep 12 3:00 4:30 Virgin Valley
Sep 18 5:00 3:30 Del Sol
Sep 26 3:00 4:30 Boulder City
Sep 28 5:00 3:30 Sky Pointe
Oct 02 3:00 4:30 SECTA
Oct 04 4:30 3:00 Chaparral
Oct 06 4:30 3:00 Basic
Oct 10 4:00 5:30 Virgin Valley
Oct 12 4:30 3:00 Cheyenne
Oct 16 3:00 4:30 Del Sol
Oct 18 3:00 4:30 Boulder City
Oct 24 3:30 5:00 Sky Pointe
Oct 31 TBA Regionals
Nov 10-11 North TBA State
All Home games in bold
Schedule subject to change without notice
Varsity Girls Soccer Roster
Alexis Schraft Ashlyn Western Autumn Morrow Bailey Bunker
Christie Eriksen Italia Bracamontes Jessica Leon Kaitlyn Hopkins
Kianna Paul Kilee Fisher Kylee Batty Lainey Cornwall
Mariah Mendoza Natalie Mills Peyton Schraft Sierra Staheli
Xochitl Frias Yasmin Rios
