What a difference a day makes. On Wednesday the Carbon High girl’s soccer team blew the South Summit girl’s right off the field with an impressive 8-1 victory. But on Thursday it was the Dinos that ran out of steam and took a 6-1 loss to a powerful Morgan squad as they continue their pre-season play.
The Dinos started out week two of their season with fire in their hearts. Within minutes of the start of the game, Felicia Olmos scored on a penalty kick. The squad was off and running. Before the half was over four more Dino shots went past the South Summit goalie and the team was cruising.
Carbon scored quickly in the second period before the lone goal South summit goal slid past a diving Lydia Jeppson. The Dinos iced up the game with another pair to finish off the game with eight points.
Olmos had the hat trick with three. Olivia Upwald added a pair of goals. Brittany McKibben, Sarah Norton and Cassandra Cunningham also put on in the net in the high scoring affair. Since the squad is still well below the numbers needed to field a full varsity and JV team, many of the girls were right back on the field to play again. The JV team also was successful.
Coach Jerad Upwald was just blown away with the performance he saw out of his girls in the game. “They played as a team and played their positions. I saw eight crossing passes from our team. Five of those resulted in scores. They were beautifully executed by the girls and I had never seen them do that before in a game.”
But playing two games and then heading back out on the field the next day to face a very powerful Morgan team left little in the gas tank for the Dinos. The team put an all out effort against Morgan in the first period and left the field at the break tied at one goal apiece. Olmos punched it in for the Dinos.
Morgan had many missed opportunities to score in the first period. Goalie Jeppson had her work cut out for her as she blocked shot after shot.
In the second half, Morgan stepped it up and Carbon ran out of gas. It was all the team from the north in the second period of play as they scored five to seal their win over the worn out Dinos.
“This will be what is scary about the whole season,” stated Upwald after the loss. “We were down two subs and the girls had to face a tough team after the work they did yesterday. They gave it their all but just gave up in the end. But I am happy about the progress they are making from game to game. They are working hard and really are getting it. We can run plays in practice all we want, but until it’s in their heads, it doesn’t help on the field. It’s in their heads now.”
Upwald and Boy’s Coach Patrick Clifford both express the disadvantage that the Carbon soccer programs face. There is no feeder program into the high school program. The kids in the community play soccer in the rec league until they reach sixth grade and then there in nothing. No club ball or junior high soccer for them to participate in. From the report of both coaches, Carbon is the only program in the state without a feeder program to transition kids to the high school team.
Both coaches are also frustrated with the condition of the field. Carbon High Principal Greg Stanfield is too. He has been trying to get the maintenance crew to give the field a bit more attention and alleviate the dry patches that plague the surface. They all hope with some good community support, Carbon can make their soccer program into a contending force in the state.
The team will be on the road this week with games Friday and Saturday in St. George and Hurricane. They will return home on September 10 to begin region play against North Sanpete.
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