The girls soccer team played in a tournament the weekend after their first regular season win over Bourgade Catholic. The Battle of Ironwood Tournament was hosted by ALA - Ironwood, and the first two days of the three-day tournament were placement games to see which teams would play each other in the elimination tournament. The third day was win or go home.
The girls started off strong with their first game against Apache Junction. The Trojans put a great amount of pressure on the Prospectors the whole game, and the Trojans controlled the flow of the game. The Valley Christian girls had 19 shots with four going in the back of the net. The Trojans won the first game 4-1. Junior, Sydney Paschich, had 1 goal with 5 shots. Another junior, Abigail Stipp, was on fire with 2 goals and 4 shots taken. The girls had great offense, but senior goalie, Melody Clauss, stood out on defense as she had 9 saves and only let 1 through. The momentum would carry them into the next game.
The second game was against Westwood on day two. Even though it was an early morning game, the Trojans still showed out. They kept up the pressure on Westwood's goalie, tallying 11 shots. The teamwork shined as the two goals the Trojans scored were assisted. The young core of the Trojans played insanely well. Tatum Mitchell, a freshman, scored a goal, and joining her was sophomore Angie Snape with one goal as well. The Trojans would win the first game of the day 2-0.
After the victory against Westwood, the Trojans faced the Sierra Linda Bulldogs, leaving with a runaway win. Some highlights and players of the game were Reagan Randleman, a talented freshman who scored a goal and was titled the official Player of the Game, and senior Faith Dibley, who scored the other goal in just 4 shot attempts. The Bulldogs stood no chance against the Trojans' drive to push further through the tournament, losing 2-0. The girls team prepared for their next opponent in the tournament as they moved on from the placement competition to the elimination battle on Saturday.
The Trojans entered into the elimination bracket with a close win over Poston Butte. The ending score was 1-0, with Reagan Randleman yet again leading the charge, making the only goal of the game, and Abigail Stipp giving her the assist to defeat Poston Butte.
With a quick win, the Trojans moved on to face the ALA Ironwood Warriors the same day in the semifinals. The match was close, ending with a 4-2 victory by the Trojans. Abigail Stipp stepped up this game, scoring 2 goals in 4 shots. Reagan Randleman continued to impress throughout this tournament with her own goal, demonstrating her incredible value to the team despite being a freshman. Senior Melody Clauss continued to display her skills as a goaltender, with 14 saves, only letting in 2 shots. Sophomore Angie Snape made the last goal, and it was left up to the defense to seal the win. Libby Juist, a junior, was titled Player of the Game for her defensive abilities and was a major contribution to pushing the Trojans into the tournament finals.
The finals would be a tough task for the Trojans. It would be their biggest competition of the weekend against ALA West Foothills, and it was a good game. The Trojans and Guardians went back and forth, but Abigail Stipp would lead the way for the Trojans with 2 goals for the team. However, the game would go to penalty shootouts after regular time ended and the score was 4-4. Melody Clauss had 10 saves during regular time, and now it was time for the penalty shootout. Melody and the Trojans worked hard to win the shootout but ultimately fell to the Guardians 2-3. Senior Makayla Rosscup talked about the emotion of the game: "We fought hard, and we worked hard. We wanted to win, and it was a tough and frustrating loss in the end. Although, it was good to make the finals, and it was a good way to see how we play together."
The Trojans had a heartbreaking defeat in the tournament finals, but they fought well and showed they will be a tough opponent to anyone they face. This is the start of a great season for the girls and we want the Trojan community show up to support them later this season!
