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2012
Herald Journal All-Valley Girls Soccer Team
By: By Jason Turner
Herald
Journal
Player of the Year
— Katie Call, Sr., D, Preston
Newcomer of the Year
— Kanyan Ward, Fr., F, Logan
Top Utility Player
— Karlee Campbell, Sr., D/F, Mtn. Crest
First Team
Goalkeeper: Lacee
Rallison, Sr., Preston
Defenders: Becca
Godfrey, Jr., Logan; Kortney McBride, Sr., Mtn. Crest; Tierra Shaffer,
Jr., Sky View; Abby Veibell, Jr., Sky View; Tess Hobbs, Jr., Preston;
Midfielders:
Anna-Marie White, Sr., Preston; Jamie Dyer, Sr., Logan; Annie Nalder,
Sr., Mtn. Crest; Carly Richins, So., Mtn. Crest; McKenley Hellstern,
Sr., Sky View
Forwards: Madie
Siddoway, So., Sky View; Taylor Horsley, Sr., Logan; Kenidee Hyde, Jr.,
Preston; Whitney Alder, Sr., Preston
Honorable
Mention
Logan:
Emily Davis, Sr., GK; Alex Hollingsworth, Sr., MF; Caitlin McCuskey,
Jr., MF; Maddie Hale, Sr., F
Mountain Crest:
Courtney Funk, Jr., GK; Abby Wright, Sr., D; Lacey VanYperen, Jr.,
MF/F; Annalee Davidson, So., MF
Preston:
Kassie Burton, Jr., MF; Serena Harris, Sr., MF; Brittany Miller, Fr.,
D; Kayla Winward, Sr., F/D
Sky View:
Jordyn Brown, So., F; Brenna Porter, Sr., MF; Kylee Villanueva, Jr.,
MF; Kilee Lamb, So., D
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Player of the year ~ Preston's Call
was a Program Changer
 Without question, Katie Call is one of the best
soccer players in Preston history.
After all, not many high school players end their careers as four-year
starters at the center back position.
However, Call’s impact on the Preston girls soccer program cannot
solely be measured by how many matches she started or how skilled a
player she was. Simply put, the daughter of Kristal and Steve Call was
the driving force behind the Indians’ transformation into a solid
defensive side, and that makes her arguably the most “influential”
player in school history, head coach Brandon Lyon said.
“We can battle with these high-level 4A teams because we can
defensively stay in the game,” Lyon said. “And we haven’t been able to
do that, this program, in the past. And so you cannot overstate what
Katie has meant defensively to this program.”
With Call anchoring the backline, the Indians won what is believed to
be a school record 14 matches in 2012. Preston capped off its most
successful season in program history with a 2-1 overtime victory over
Wood River for the fifth-place trophy at the eight-team 4A State
Championships.
The Indians scored a lot of goals this season, but also posted nine
shutouts in 20 matches. In several games, Call was joined on the
backline by a trio of freshmen, which makes Preston’s defensive success
all the more noteworthy.
“How she brought that unit together was actually pretty remarkable,”
Lyon said of Call.
Call’s ability and drive to lead Preston’s inexperienced backline into
uncharted territory — the Indians made their first-ever appearance in
the 4A tourney after nine seasons of trying — was the biggest reason
she was selected as The Herald Journal All-Valley Player of the Year.
The senior is the first-ever Preston soccer player — girl or boy — to
receive this award.
“I’m so grateful to have this award, but I really couldn’t be here
without my team, so I’d like to thank my team and all my coaches for
this because they really did bring me here,” Call said. “And it just
makes me feel like all the hard work has paid off in the end.”
This was Lyon’s first year at the helm, but he was the school’s head
boys coach for nine seasons. Therefore, Lyon has also been very
familiar with the girls program, and he firmly believes Call is the
program’s best defender of all-time.
The Indians first started playing soccer in 2000.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt (she’s the best) when you combine
skill wise what she’s capable of, how she can read a game, see a game,”
Lyon said. “And maybe the biggest thing that puts her over the top is I
don’t know if I’ve ever been around somebody that is as big of a
competitor as Katie.”
Lyon went on to say Call is even ultra competitive in simple practice
drills, and No. 9 certainly didn’t deny her competitive nature.
“If you ask any of the freshman girls, they’ll tell you that they’re
scared of me, because I’m very controlling on the backline,” Call said
with a laugh. “I pretty much take control of everything. I tell them
where they should be and if they don’t get there than they keep hearing
from me. And then I taught them the shapes and the shifting of
defenses, so then they understood for themselves where they’re supposed
to be, what they’re supposed to be doing and how to cover and balance
each other.”
Not only was Call one of 4A’s top defenders this season, she was also
one of the state’s most dangerous players when it came to set pieces.
Call showcased this ability as a freshman when she scored a free kick
goal against Pocatello, and the Indians were very dangerous when No. 9
stood over the ball this year.
In fact, Call was a bit unlucky not to score a handful of free kick
goals in 2012. For starters, in a district match against Bonneville,
Call pinged a pair of free kicks off the crossbar. Lyon said there was
a three- or four-game stretch this season in which Call fired at least
one shot off the woodwork.
Call, a four-time all-valley selection, finally broke through with a
free kick goal against eventual 4A runner-up Century in the district
tournament. It was Call’s only goal of the campaign, but she assisted
on four others.
“Even in practice, I would hit the crossbar like 94 times,” Call said.
“It was so, so frustrating, and so then when I finally got one on
Century, on a team that actually was (really good), I was so ecstatic.”
Ecstatic is also a word Call used to describe her senior season. The
Preston native insisted she never thought this season would turn out
this well for the Indians.
“I think the biggest key to our breakthrough would have to be our hard
work,” said Call, who made it a point to praise the team’s other senior
leaders. “Like I said before, we put so many hours into this. ... And
we also had coach Lyon there (and) he was telling us, ‘You guys need to
focus, you need to do this.’ I just think it was our mentality. Really,
I think Lyon made us believe that we could win.”
Call has also enjoyed plenty of success as a sweeper for her club team.
Call has played for her uncle, Travis Baxter, for the last five years,
and her Infinity side has fared very well at the Utah State Cup level a
couple times. Two years ago, Call’s team won the Mayor’s Cup
International Showcase in Las Vegas.
Call, who made it a point to praise Lyon and Baxter, has aspirations of
playing at the next level, preferably at national junior college power
Iowa Western. Call plans on trying out for the Reivers in the near
future and is also looking at a couple other colleges.
Regardless of what happens in the future, Call will always look back at
her time in Preston with much joy.
“I love the girls (at Preston),” Call said. “You make so many memories,
like I don’t even know which ones to say because there’s so many. ... I
just love my team; they’re the ones who really made the whole season
for me.”
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NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Kanyan Ward, Logan, Fr.
Heading into the season, this freshman made it a goal to score in every
Logan match, according to head coach Mitch Peterson.
Ward darn near did this until she suffered a stress fracture in her
foot. The forward netted at least one goal in five of the Grizzlies’
first six matches. The forward recorded a hat trick against Morgan and
scored all seven of her goals in the first six games.
No. 14, who is a standout club and ODP player, also assisted on a trio
of goals during the season.
“Her accuracy is wonderful,” Peterson said. “I mean, her shooting is
incredible. We’d be done with practice and her dad would come over to
the field with a bag of balls, and he would just set them around the
field, she’d shoot and she’d hit upper 90 nine out of 10 times, all
over the field. So she pushes herself hard, and she’s a very smart
player.”
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TOP UTILITY PLAYER
Karlee Campbell, Mtn. Crest, Sr.
Whether she was playing up top or anchoring Mountain Crest’s backline,
Campbell was one of the best players n Region 5.
The Utah State commit led the Mustangs in goals with eight and tied for
the team lead in assists with four. Campbell, a four-year starter for
the Mustangs, had two-goal matches against Roy and Box Elder and a
two-assist performance against Logan.
“I think I’d have to say (she’s meant) a whole lot (to the program)
because, as a freshman, she came out and we put her out there at
defense, and she started,” MC head coach Dennis Giles said. “... She
fit the bit and she came out and played well. She’s a smart little
player, she really is. And she’s got good speed to her, she thinks well
(on the field).”
Campbell also showed a lot of toughness — “injuries aren’t going to
stop her, she wants to play” Giles said — her senior season.
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FIRST
TEAM
GOALKEEPER
Lacee Rallison, Preston , Sr.
Heading into the season, Rallison, a starting center back a year ago,
had never played the keeper spot — not at any level.
“We had a senior who’s very vocal, very aggressive, very athletic and
we were like, ‘All right, let’s give it a whirl,’ and it’s just taken
off from there,” Lyon said.“She totally bought into it, she trained as
hard as anybody at her specific position. And she’ll be the first to
tell you having (assistant coach) Kyle (Hugie) there was huge.”
Rallison handily led the valley in shutouts with nine, including one
against Middleton in a state tournament elimination game. In that
match, the Vikings took it to the Indians in the early going, but
Rallison made a couple of huge plays to keep them off the scoreboard.
“It honestly is remarkable how far she came and it’s pretty scary to
think if she would have done this for four years how good she could
have been,” Lyon said.
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DEFENDERS
Becca Godfrey, Logan, Jr.
This speedy defender was also one of Logan’s best players in
transitioning from defense to offense, much to the delight of Peterson.
“I can’t diminish any of the other (defenders), but Becca was a team
captain and she was a positive, focused, determined leader on the
field, on and off the field,” Peterson said. “... And we’d put her at
striker at times to get that burst of speed and that shot making. For
her small size, you kind of don’t think it would be that way, but she’s
an incredible player.”
Godfrey’s one goal this season was a huge one in a double overtime
victory over Mountain Crest.
One of No. 15’s best attributes, Peterson said, was her ability to
mentally and physically bounce back when the Grizzlies had a shaky game
defensively. Godfrey also earned the praise of Peterson for making life
difficult for Box Elder star forward Lana Willard.
Kortney McBride, Mtn. Crest, Sr.
This senior made the All-Valley team for the third straight year, and
Giles is going to miss the diminutive McBride’s toughness, versatility,
work ethic and knowledge of the game.
“She really plays tenacious,” Giles said. “She’s not afraid of a kid
that’s two heads taller than she is. ... She knows that she can’t get
the high balls, but let me tell you, she can go around them and
underneath them, and she ends up with that ball and I’m sitting there
going, ‘wow.’ But yeah, she’s a great little kid and she hustles really
hard on that field.”
Like last year, McBride proved she had the ability to go forward in the
attack as she scored goals against Logan and Box Elder. Giles is
convinced No. 9 can be productive anywhere on the pitch and is hopeful
she will get a chance to play in college.
Tierra Shaffer, Sky View, Jr.
When Danica Hansen graduated, the Bobcats needed someone to take
command of their backline, and Shaffer was that player.
“She’s just the perfect player in the perfect spot,” SV head coach
Doyle Geddes said. “She is just a born stopper, somebody that’s just
got a lot of grit and attitude, and then the physical gifts to play
that particular spot on the field. And she was essential to our success
because she knew how to keep the ball in front of her, and she knew how
to read balls and win them, so she was just difficult to get by.”
Shaffer, last year’s HJ Newcomer of the Year, is beginning to learn how
to “make runs (in the attack), which I’m really excited for, for next
year,” Geddes said. Doyle expects No. 6 to be more of a playmaker as a
senior.
The junior only scored one goal this season, but it was a big one — an
equalizer against Timpview in the 4A playoffs.
Abby Veibell, Sky View, Jr.
This junior spent last season recovering from a knee injury and,
needless to say, Geddes was grateful to have her back in ’12.
“We’ve had a history of great sweepers at Sky View, I think, and we
look for the player at that spot and we look to groom them because my
whole system is really dependent on a player fulfilling that role, and
I think Abby just did an amazing job as our sweeper this year,” Geddes
said.
Geddes is looking forward to next season with the return of Veibell and
Shaffer, and even joked that his backline will be so solid his team can
make due without a keeper.
“She may not possess the speed that we’ve had in that position in the
past, but she certainly has the smarts, so she makes really great reads
on when to leave that position and when to hold ground,” Geddes said of
Veibell. “She is just a super intelligent player back there.”
Tess Hobbs, Preston, Jr.
This talented junior missed a handful of matches with a painful hip
injury and also entered the season still recovering from a torn MCL in
her right knee.
Nevertheless, Hobbs was still able to score four goals and six assists
because she is, as Lyon put it, “a special talent.”
“I wouldn’t hesitate to say that, relative to gender, she’s the most
talented player I’ve ever coached,” Hobbs said. “I mean, I’ve had some
great, talented boys, but relative to their gender she’s the most
talented player I’ve coached. She’s got so much ability and I don’t
think she’s even scratched what she could become. Her physical
strengths are off the charts.”
No. 2 was Preston’s starting left back, but Lyon gave her a wealth of
freedom to push forward in the attack. Simply put, Hobbs made so many
overlapping runs, she was “basically a wing,” Lyon said.
“She has one of the most lethal left foots I’ve seen,” said Lyon, who
is convinced Hobbs would “dominate” at any position on the pitch.
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MIDFIELDERS
Anna-Marie White, Preston, Sr.
Not only was this senior a very good leader for the Indians, she was
one of their most talented and soccer-savvy players.
“She was pivotal in our attack,” Lyon said. “I mean, from Day 1 we
penciled her into that attacking mid spot, and throughout the season
she was just pivotal in distributing that ball and being that link from
the ball to the forwards. ... She saw the field as well as anyone on
the team, and we’re really going to miss her.”
No. 3 led Preston — and the valley, for that matter — with nine assists
and also ranked third on the team with eight goals. White had two-goal
performances against Minico, Canyon View and Blackfoot.
White scored Preston’s first goal in its 2-1 overtime victory over Wood
River in the 4A consolation championship game.
Jamie Dyer, Logan, Sr.
Like Ward, Dyer also got off to a hot start for the Grizzlies, scoring
four goals and assisting on another during their first six matches.
However, it was Dyer’s vocal leadership, drive, focus and intensity in
anchoring Logan’s center midfield that really earned the praise and
admiration of Peterson.
“A couple of things made her stand out,” Peterson said. “(First of all)
her leadership was incredible. Taylor (Horsley) was a little more quiet
and reserved ... but Jamie was that vocal leader that led by example,
but also by her words. She was always encouraging, always confident,
always mature. ... Plus, she’s very athletic and I think she was really
just a great team player for us.”
No. 11, who scored twice against Morgan and netted Logan’s final goal
of the season, finished with six goals and three assists.
Annie Nalder, Mtn. Crest, Sr.
Nalder wasn’t able to finish nearly as well as she did a year ago, but
she was more of a playmaker out of the midfield for the Mustangs as a
senior.
“She worked hard this year, but I think probably the biggest thing
about her was she had an ability to kind of read the field and
distribute things out,” Giles said. “And she also had one heck of a
hard kick.”
No. 3 only found the back of the net once in ’12, down from four goals
a season ago, but tied for the team lead with four assists. Nalder also
showcased a competitive drive this season that Giles really appreciated.
“Sometimes a player would get her and then she’d get mad and go after
them even harder, so she did really well that way,” Giles said.
Carly Richins, Mtn. Crest, So.
When Richins was on top of her game, she was a big difference maker for
Mountain Crest in the attack.
“Carly has that ability (to be a game changer),” Giles said. “She plays
with the ball a lot and she’s gotten really good at it with fast
footwork. I mean, she can move the ball and get away from people, juke
them and fake them out. ... And she can pass the ball pretty well and
she’s got a pretty good kick on them.”
No. 6 tied for the team lead in assists with four. Three of those
assists were recorded in a 4-1 road blowout of Roy.
Giles is hopeful and confident Richins will improve on her decision
making next season. Sometimes Richins would attempt shots from too far
out, yet wouldn’t pull the trigger quick enough when she had the ball
at her feet inside the box. However, she did create a lot of dangerous
scoring opportunities for the Mustangs.
McKenley Hellstern, Sky View, Sr.
This senior was asked to elevate her level of play when star midfielder
Jessica Brooksby blew out her knee in Sky View’s season opener, and
Geddes felt Hellstern did just that.
“She was just a great captain and her greatest field attribute is that
she’s a calming influence,” Geddes said. “She just knows how to settle
a ball and try to get other people around her to stay calm and
collected, which out of a central midfielder, that’s the perfect
virtue.”
No. 16 tied for the team lead with six goals — all in different matches
— and led the Bobcats with three assists. Hellstern, who combined very
well with forward Madie Siddoway, had one goal and two assists in a win
over Roy.
“I’ve always believed that skill finds its level, and when you’re
playing at the level McKenley and Madie are, they look for each other,”
Geddes said. “And they both have a great knowledge of the way the game
works, so they were able to play off of each other really well.”
FORWARDS
Madie Siddoway, Sky View, So.
Even though she’s just sophomore, Siddoway is already one of the most
skilled and fundamentally sound players in the valley.
No. 5 tied Hellstern for the team lead with six goals — like Hellstern,
all in different matches — and also dished out two assists. Siddoway
had a goal and an assist in a big road victory over Box Elder.
“She was super important because she just demands respect when she has
the ball at her feet, so things open up when she has control of the
ball,” Geddes said. “And she’s had to grow up fast in our system
because without Stacy (Bair), we needed a go-to person, and I think
she’s kind of emerged as that up top. We didn’t have a lot of offensive
punch, but I think Madie’s going to have a couple of breakout years in
front of her.”
Geddes also praised Siddoway’s leadership as a sophomore. The lanky and
athletic Siddoway is already getting looked at by Division I
universities.
Taylor Horsley, Logan, Sr.
This speedy senior quite possibly had the valley’s best single-match
performance this season with four goals — Horsley missed scoring a
fifth goals by a matter of inches — in a 4-2 road victory over Box
Elder.
“She did an incredible job for us,” Peterson said. “... It was hard to
not put too much pressure on her, it was hard to not put too high of
expectations on her and expect her to do that every time she stepped on
the field. But yeah, she’s got the speed, and the biggest thing that
was interesting in that Box Elder game is she wasn’t being selfish, she
wasn’t being greedy at all.”
No. 12, who led the Grizzlies and finished third in the valley with
nine goals, also headed in the game-winning goal against Mountain Crest
in double OT and scored twice against Hurricane.
“When she was on, it was so fun to watch her,” said Peterson, who raved
about Horsley’s instincts on the field.
Kenidee Hyde, Preston, Jr.
This junior was arguably the valley’s most improved player and was a
strong candidate for player of the year.
Hyde led the valley in goals with 15 and also emerged as a playmaker as
the season progressed, as she finished with six assists. The Indians
scored four goals in their two state tournament wins, and No. 13 helped
account for three of them.
“I knew she’d have a good season,” Lyon said. “I mean, I’ve been around
Kenidee long enough that ... I know she’s a great athlete and she’s got
that physical strength, combined with just that gifted speed. And I
think she would tell you that she didn’t know that she’d have this type
of year.”
Hyde, who had a goal or assist in a valley-best 13 different matches,
is a relentless player, and that’s arguably her best attribute on the
pitch.
“That’s the thing is she has this motor that never stops,” Lyon said.
“I mean, she’s going to give you everything for 80 minutes, and If I
ever subbed her out, even for a minute, she would be pissed because she
didn’t want to stop. ... What she could be a year from now is pretty
scary.”
Whitney Alder, Preston, Sr.
Lyon recalled watching Alder compete in a drill as a freshman and
thinking “she could be something special.”
Alder did her best to live up to those expectations in ’12. No. 1
finished second in the valley with 10 goals, including four at home
against Marsh Valley, and also assisted on seven others.
“She honestly, I would say, was probably all the way through the season
our most consistent player,” Lyon said. “A lot of our players had these
ups and downs throughout different points during the season, but she
was just steady the whole season. And whatever we needed her to do, she
would just find a way to do it at those times.”
Alder, who had a goal or assist in 11 different matches, scored the OT
goal that allowed Preston to capture fifth place at the state tourney.
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jturner@hjnews.com
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