Undefeated Maple Mountain girl's soccer team beats Mountain View

Sometimes you don't play your best as a team. Sometimes your emotions can seem to take control on the field. And yet, even when that happens, sometimes you still find a way to win-which is exactly what happened for the Maple Mountain girl's soccer team Thursday afternoon as it remained undefeated by taking a 4-1 victory over the host Mountain View Bruins.

"I thought it was a frustrating game and we certainly didn't play our best. I thought we let our emotions get the best of us today, honestly," Maple Mountain coach Carolyn Swenson said. "But it's something we need to put behind us and work towards in the future. As a team I don't think we played our best, but I know the individual efforts were there."

While Swenson felt her team could use some emotional bolstering, the on-field results seemed come often and quickly-as the Eagles picked up their first goal of the game just minutes into the contest after Rachel Bingham found Baylee Nielsen for a quick score and a Maple Mountain 1-0 lead.

A short time later, the Bruins keeper collided with an Eagles player before the ball bounced back to Kennedee Tracy, who took advantage of the down keeper and found the back of the net to give Maple Mountain the 2-0 advantage less than mid-way through the first half.

Maple Mountain's aggressive attack and crisp passing kept the Bruins defenders moving consistently and led to open looks on the goal.

"That's always our game plan," Swenson said. "We want to use our speed out wide and up top."

With a 2-0 lead, Maple Mountain instantly piled the pressure on the Bruins, who were pulled into a game of catch-up for the remainder of the contest.

"The girls who scored first, Baylee and Kennedee, are really good about putting away early goals," Swenson said. "It really helps your team relax a bit."

For Nielsen, the goal was her first en route to a hat trick on the afternoon-adding a goal late in the first half off a Courtney Fryer centered pass and picking up her third and final goal in the second half after sliding into a scoring kick off a pass from Scierra Woods.

Nielsen's three goals on the afternoon brought her season total up to nine goals through the season's first five games.

"I think she came to play today and was a really good leader on the field," Swenson said of Nielsen. "I was impressed with her efforts."

The Bruins took advantage of a miscue from the Maple Mountain side to pick up their first and only goal of the game and put a small and lone blemish on the effort of Maple Mountain keeper Kara Betts.

On the rare occasions that the Maple Mountain defense let the Bruins get a shot on goal, Betts did her part to hold firm and keep the ball from finding the back of the net.

"Kara has been so much better about being loud and commanding from the goal box," Swenson added. "We've been very happy with her."

Maple Mountain (5-0, 3-0) will take on Orem on Tuesday in Mapleton while the Bruins (2-4, 0-4) will look to rebound on Tuesday as they travel to take on Timpanogos.

Read more: http://www.heraldextra.com/sports/high-school/soccer/article_970caf3e-cfa3-11e0-91df-001cc4c002e0.html#ixzz1WNaZwDAA

This year's soccer team includes:
Baylee Nielsen


Chelsea Frisby

Christine Heyn

Courtney Fryer

Giselle Francis

Jaedi Ann Brown

Jalene Keliiliki

Janae Warren

Jayci Peay

Jessica Roundy

Kaitlyn Bailey

Kara Betts

Katie Card

Katie Hammer

Kennedee Tracy

Lexi Petersen

Lindsay Williamson

Lora Kendell

Maddie Ball

Madie Kay

Malia Brady

McKell Nielsen

Megan Elmont

Meghan White

Mikelle Hamilton

Morgan Schramm

Natalie Hickey

Rachel Bingham

Savannah Robinson

Scierra Woods

Sophie Card

Taylor Williamson

Tessa Weight

Wesli Peay