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Home > Archive > Oct 11, 2007

Dixie, Pine View in 4A Girls’ Soccer Tournament
By Stephen Vincent
The Dixie and Pine View girls' soccer teams qualified for the 4A girls’ soccer tournament with each team playing an opening-round game on Oct. 9.
Dixie was scheduled to host West, while Pine View traveled to Highland.
DIXIE
If Dixie wins its opening-round game, the Flyers, because they won Region 9, will host another game at 4 p.m., Oct. 11.
Those two home games combined with an experienced team could aid the Flyers' hopes of making a deep run into the playoffs.
The Flyers won last year's 3A state championship, and they return plenty of players from that squad, which Dixie coach Burt Myers expects will be an advantage in the tournament.
“To go deep into the playoffs, we need to rely on that good experience,” Myers said.
Six of Myers’ players on this year's team played in the state championship game last season.
At the same time, Dixie and Pine View are going into uncharted territory. In 3A, the teams were familiar with the other schools across the state. Now, in 4A, they are just getting to know the opponents against whom they will be competing for a state championship.
Myers believed that “newness” in 4A will be the biggest challenge in this tournament.
“They'll be trying to figure out and contain our strengths, and we'll try to control their strengths,” Myers said.
The Flyers are led by Kalehua Harward and Mikkel Griffin.
Griffin led the Flyers with 12 goals this season, which ranks her as the seventh-leading scorer in 4A this year, and Harward added nine more goals.
Chemea Palmer and Jenna Brady, who moved down from Logan this year, are two other players who have provided solid seasons for the Flyers.
“Everyone's played well, but they haven't played well in unison,” Myers said. “When they decide to play well and play together, we could be a powerful team. The No. 1 thing moving forward is that they all have to play well for 80 minutes.”
Myers said his team will also focus on keeping their spacing at the right distance, as well as finishing when they have the opportunities to score.
Myers starts a young team with two sophomores, seven juniors and just two seniors comprising the Flyers' starting squad.
“We should be strong next year, but we don't want to wait until next year to accomplish what we want to do this year,” Myers said. “This team can accomplish more things than they realize. We have an opportunity to do big things.”
But in the single-elimination tournament, Myers knows that the regular success does not guarantee post-season fortune.
“We got our region championship, and that was good,” Myers said. “But everyone's 0-0 now.”

PINE VIEW
The Panthers earned their spot in the playoffs with two wins over Snow Canyon to beat the Warriors out for the region's second spot.
“This was a goal for our seniors,” Pine View coach Sam Johnston said. “In the ideal situation, we'd be in the first seed and have that extra home game, but this is good.”
Pine View has just five seniors on the roster, but those seniors, who each made participating in the state tournament their goal this season, are relishing the chance to participate in the state tournament.
The Panthers, though, will be without one senior, Jessica Ferguson, who suffered a knee injury against Hurricane.
In her place, Pine View has turned to sophomore Amber Kimzey.
“That's really hurt us, losing a senior back there,” Johnston said. “But Amber has jumped into the spot and been fantastic.”
Kimzey joins Lacey Bean, Holly Krzmarzick and sophomore sweeper Dayci Patterson to form the Pine View back four, and that defense, which is aided by Megan Church's strong play in goal, is considered by Johnston to be one of the team's strengths.
Johnston said the defense will focus on maintaining their marks and playing solid one-on-one defense. 
In the midfield, the Panthers are led by senior center midfielder Michelle Judd, the team's leading scorer with eight goals this season. Judd, who will play for Southern Utah University next season, also quarterbacks the team, as the Panthers run their offense through her.
“She's been huge for us,” Johnston said. “She's been a really consistent figure in controlling the midfield. She's the key with everything we do.”
Judd teams with another senior, Anna Lindsay, in the center midfield, and Johnston said he is pleased with how Lindsay has played for him this season.
“How we play depends on how our midfielders play,” Johnston said.
He will look for his midfielders to control the ball and keep the team organized against Highland.
Up front, Johnston wants his forwards, led by sophomore Kylee Glines, to keep pressure on the Ram defense and ensure that Highland has a difficult day defensively.
“Technically, there's not much we want to change,” Johnston said. “It's the mental aspect we're concerned about: Are we satisfied with what we've done or do we want more? Right now, we're hungry.”
The Panthers played six pre-season games against teams from northern Utah, something Johnston believes will help them in the state tournament.
“As difficult as our pre-season was, I think it gives us an advantage because we know we can play up there, but we have to be ready to play,” Johnston said.

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