Lady Pirate Soccer Has Set High Goals For The Season

By VERNON ROBISON

The Progress

The future is looking bright for the Moapa Valley High School Girls Soccer team. The team saw a solid turnout as practices began last week with nearly 40 girls coming out to play.

“We have had a great showing for tryouts with more people than usual,” said MVHS head coach Lisa Cornwall. “I attribute some of that to the middle school having a good soccer team last year. I think that has already been a big support to what we are doing here. It gives us a deep squad to work with for both Varsity and JV teams.”

But the positive outlook is much more than the strong incoming class of freshmen. The team has a healthy core of returning seniors that will provide leadership and experience. These include solid players from past years like Paige and Tallie Fairchild, Brooke Sherwood, Lexi Fullman, Taytum Yardley and Andelyn Osmond.

In addition, juniors Hannah Fullmer, Haylie Western and the team’s star keeper Savannah Burt are all returning to the talented Pirate squad.

Notable sophomores coming back to play include Mallory Tobler and Abby Hammonds.

Cornwall has also pulled up two incoming freshman onto the varsity team this year who show great promise including Taylee Bunch and Fallon Yardley.

Cornwall said that she has seen a strong team spirit in all of the girls that showed up during the first week of practice.

“They are such team players and they all want to be the best that they can be,” Cornwall said. “They are willing to go wherever they are needed. They want the playing time and want to improve and get better. There is just that attitude that is a recipe for greatness.”

Cornwall says that the attitude is so positive, she has high hopes to make it into the state championships this year.

Last year the team ended with a strong 7-1 league record. That one loss came at the hands of Virgin Valley in a home game heartbreaker, tied scoreless until the last minutes of the match when a call against the Pirates gave a free kick to Virgin Valley that ended in a goal. The game ended 1-0 Bulldogs.

A couple of weeks later, the Pirates faced Virgin Valley again in Mesquite. This time they came away victorious with a 2-1 final score. That put the Pirates in the top seed of the playoffs.

But the team ended last year’s season in the second round of the finals when they lost to Boulder City, 4-0. The Pirates hadn’t faced the Eagles before in the season. Though Boulder City was on the schedule, the regular season game had to be canceled due to COVID health restrictions.

“I think that the girls just didn’t know what to expect so they were kind of taken a little bit off by them in that playoff game,” Cornwall said. “But at this point I think there is a better state of mind. They are really excited to meet the Eagles again. It is kind of like a grudge match game. They want to prove themselves now.”

That matchup will happen early on in the season on August 24 in Boulder City.

The team will be rushing out of the gate into game play this week. The Pirates have a match on the schedule on Thursday, Aug. 18 when they will host charter school, Cristo Rey at 6 pm in Jeff Keel stadium.

The Pirates will host the VVHS Bulldogs on Oct. 12 at 6 pm.
“The girls are ready and eager to get started,” Cornwall said. “They know what they’re supposed to do. A lot of them have been working on skills through the summer. We’ve been through a couple of camps together. So they’re excited.”

Girls Soccer 2022 Season Schedule

JV / V
Aug 18 6 PM Cristo Rey
Aug 22 4:30 / 6 PM Legacy
Aug 24 4:30 / 3PM Boulder City
Aug 26 TBA Spring Creek Tourn.
Aug 30 4:30 / 6 PM Del Sol
Sep 01 6 / 4:30 PM Durango
Sep 07 4:30 / 6 PM Equippo
Sep 13 5 / 3:30 PM SLAM
Sep 15 4:30 / 6 PM Pahrump
Sep 19 4:30 / 6 PM Virgin Valley
Sep 21 4:30 / 6 PM Chaparral
Sep 29 6 / 4:30 PM Mojave
Oct 03 6 PM Mater East
Oct 06 4:30 / 6 PM The Meadows
Oct 10 5:30 / 7 PM Cheyenne
Oct 12 4:30 / 6 PM Virgin Valley
Oct 18 6 / 4:30 PM Chaparral
Oct 20 4:30 / 6 PM Mojave
Oct 24 4:30 / 6 PM The Meadows
Oct 26 4:30 / 6 PM Cheyenne