Girls’ soccer teams look to succeed amid tough competition

It has been years since a West Jordan girls’ soccer team has finished with a winning record. The most wins both Copper Hills and West Jordan High Schools have ended a season with has been six over the last decade. The Grizzlies won six games last season and in 2009; the Jaguars haven’t won six games since 2008. Both teams hope that turns around for 2011.

With some new schools in Region 3, West Jordan and Copper Hills both have their work cut out for them. Alta, Brighton and Jordan have accounted for eight of the last nine 5A state championships, and all have found a new home in Region 3. But Riverton and Bingham, both powerhouse teams from the old Region 3, have found new schools to terrorize for 2011 with their realignment.

West Jordan head coach Richard Hoonakker said, “The region shift hasn’t helped West Jordan. There are a lot of tough teams here. Copper Hills has been playing well, and Cottonwood is also traditionally a tough team.”

The Jaguars’ team goal for 2011 is to make it to the post season. They would have to place at least fourth to get there, and Hoonakker is confident his team has the ability and the experience.

 “All of the pieces are in the right place,” he said. West Jordan has 11 seniors who have played together since the ninth grade. They know how to play with each other and how to compliment each other’s strengths according to their coach.

So far this season, West Jordan has played well, winning four games through August while only losing three, including a 6-0 trouncing of Kearns on Aug. 23. The Jaguars started September with a 0-0 double overtime tie with Cottonwood on Sept. 1.

West Jordan is being led by a number of players, including senior center defender Megan Molumby and senior inside midfielder Brittany Allred. Allred, and fellow senior Jayne Starkie, both have scored four goals, followed closely by Sydnee Carter and Juana Fernandez, who have both scored three times. Alyssa Montoya has also scored and goalie Rachel Green has shut out three teams: Kearns on Aug. 2, American Fork on Aug. 25 and Cottonwood on Sept. 1.

Copper Hills hasn’t fared as well as West Jordan thus far in 2011, only having won two games through the first four weeks of the season. The Grizzlies shutout both Tooele, 5-0, on Aug.9, and Hunter, 4-0, on Aug. 19, thanks to the combined efforts of goalies Nicole Land and Hailey Willden. Amber Laubershimer, a senior who led all scorers at Copper Hills in 2010, is doing the same type of work in 2011, having scored three goals. Danielle Bills is also contributing regularly, having hit net on two attempts this season.

Hoonakker, who said he is having one of the best experiences he’s had as head coach at West Jordan, loves to watch the team’s chemistry. “We don’t have any club players; the girls have to play together. If they do that, everything else comes,” the coach said.

With Region 3 being as tough as it is, both teams will need solid contributions all around. “Even when we aren’t scoring goals, we contribute; our defense has been amazing,” Hoonakker said.