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Kelly Walsh’s Sydney Stephan changes direction on a Rock Springs defender during their game Saturday at KW’s Tom Staffileno Activity Complex.
Kelly Walsh’s Peyton Hill takes a shot attempt during Saturday’s 4-0 win over Rock Springs at KW’s Tom Staffileno Activity Complex.
Kelly Walsh’s Aspen Scherck celebrates after scoring a goal in the first half of Saturday’s 4-0 win over Rock Springs at KW’s Tom Staffileno Activity Complex.
The Kelly Walsh girls soccer team looks ready to defend its state championship.
The Trojans (10-3-2, 10-2-0 Class 4A West) claimed the conference regular season title Saturday with a 4-0 shutout of Rock Springs at the Tom Staffileno Activity Complex.
“We really wanted to be conference champs,” KW head coach Jerry Realing admitted. “We had a couple letdowns in the season where we lost to a couple good teams, but we always felt like there was more in us.
“Today was just a phenomenal game for us. We moved the ball really well, we attacked really hard and I thought our defense was so incredibly calm today with Sydney (Van Houten) and Abigail (Miller) in the middle.”
The Trojans broke the scoreless tie in the 18th minute when sophomore Maren Hayward managed to thread a crossing pass through three defenders and onto the foot of Aspen Scherck. The senior pushed the ball to the right before gathering and firing a shot past Rock Springs goalkeeper Karlie Nandrup.
Scherck made it 2-0 just 5 minutes later off a corner kick from senior Addysen Kobza.
“She’s amazing,” Scherck said of Kobza. “She’s an inspiration for all of us because she knows where to put the ball and how we will get to the ball.”
Realing echoed Scherck’s sentiments regarding Kobza.
“She has such an amazing ball on the set pieces,” he said. “And we knew we had the right people in there that would attack it.”
Kelly Walsh appeared content to take its 2-0 advantage into halftime, but with the clock winding down the Trojans got one more corner kick. Kobza hurriedly placed the ball, waited for the referee’s signal and lofted the ball toward the center of the net. Senior Peyton Hill headed the perfectly placed corner kick past Nandrup with just 10 seconds to play.
“Credit to my assistant coaches because they told me to look at the clock,” Realing said. “Kobza put in a great ball and Peyton attacked it. So an assist to Kobza but also an assist to a couple of great assistant coaches.”
Sophomore Sydney Stephan scored the only goal of the second half with a stellar individual run in which she dribbled through three defenders and beat Nandrup with a low liner into the back of the net in the 74th minute.
The goal capped a dominating second half for the Trojans, who out-shot the Tigers 12-0 and had a 7-0 advantage in shots on goal.
“It’s not always about what you do, but it’s about how you do it,” Realing said. “And i think we won that conference championship by playing the right kind of soccer. We would have been happy with a 1-0 win, but the way they played today as a coach I couldn’t be more proud.”
As Realing noted, KW was solid in all phases throughout the lineup. Whether it was the senior starters or the young reserves, the Trojans were clicking on all cylinders Saturday as they finished undefeated at home. KW outscored teams 28-4 and junior keeper Addy Harris finished with four shutouts on their home turf.
“I love how we can put our image on (the underclassmen) and then they can grow from that,” Scherck said. “We connect really well with our younger girls and we keep each other motivated. And tangerine ice cream really pumps us up.”
The Trojans have been getting impressive play from their younger players all season and will look to continue that trend next weekend at regionals. The conference champs have a bye into the semifinals, where they’ll play the winner of the Rock Springs-Natrona County game on Friday.
“Every kid that stepped on the field gave solid minutes,” Realing said. “They were out there today playing for each other and as a coach you can sit back and relax because it was pretty soccer. It’s a good way to enter the postseason to be playing that kind of soccer.”
Kelly Walsh’s Ethan Leslie controls a sideline throw-in during the Trojans’ 4-0 shutout of Rock Springs on Saturday at KW’s Tom Staffileno Activity Complex.
Kelly Walsh’s Parker O’Neil dribbles the ball past Rock Springs’ Cristian Perez during Saturday’s 4-0 win over the Tigers at KW’s Tom Staffileno Activity Complex in Casper.
Kelly Walsh’s Emie McNutt has a shot attempt blocked by Rock Springs goalie Karlie Nandrup during the Trojans 4-0 win over the Tigers at KW’s Tom Staffileno Activity Complex in Casper.
KW’s Bethany Strand battles for control of the ball during Saturday’s 4-0 win over Rock Springs at KW’s Tom Staffileno Activity Complex in Casper.
Kelly Walsh’s Sydney Stephan changes direction on a Rock Springs defender during their game Saturday at KW’s Tom Staffileno Activity Complex.
Kelly Walsh’s Peyton Hill takes a shot attempt during Saturday’s 4-0 win over Rock Springs at KW’s Tom Staffileno Activity Complex.
Kelly Walsh’s Aspen Scherck celebrates after scoring a goal in the first half of Saturday’s 4-0 win over Rock Springs at KW’s Tom Staffileno Activity Complex.
Kelly Walsh’s ? attempts to avoid a sliding tackle by Rock Springs’ William Hamilton during Saturday’s 4-0 win at KW’s Tom Staffileno Activity Complex in Casper.
Kelly Walsh’s Britton Butler scores on a penalty kick in the Trojans’ 4-0 shutout of Rock Springs on Saturday at the Tom Staffileno Activity Complex in Casper.
Both Kelly Walsh soccer teams defeated Rock Springs 4-0 on Saturday at KW’s Tom Staffileno Activity Complex.
Kelly Walsh’s Ethan Leslie controls a sideline throw-in during the Trojans’ 4-0 shutout of Rock Springs on Saturday at KW’s Tom Staffileno Activity Complex.
Kelly Walsh’s Parker O’Neil dribbles the ball past Rock Springs’ Cristian Perez during Saturday’s 4-0 win over the Tigers at KW’s Tom Staffileno Activity Complex in Casper.
Kelly Walsh’s Emie McNutt has a shot attempt blocked by Rock Springs goalie Karlie Nandrup during the Trojans 4-0 win over the Tigers at KW’s Tom Staffileno Activity Complex in Casper.
KW’s Bethany Strand battles for control of the ball during Saturday’s 4-0 win over Rock Springs at KW’s Tom Staffileno Activity Complex in Casper.
Kelly Walsh’s Sydney Stephan changes direction on a Rock Springs defender during their game Saturday at KW’s Tom Staffileno Activity Complex.
Kelly Walsh’s Peyton Hill takes a shot attempt during Saturday’s 4-0 win over Rock Springs at KW’s Tom Staffileno Activity Complex.
Kelly Walsh’s Aspen Scherck celebrates after scoring a goal in the first half of Saturday’s 4-0 win over Rock Springs at KW’s Tom Staffileno Activity Complex.
Kelly Walsh’s ? attempts to avoid a sliding tackle by Rock Springs’ William Hamilton during Saturday’s 4-0 win at KW’s Tom Staffileno Activity Complex in Casper.
Kelly Walsh’s Britton Butler scores on a penalty kick in the Trojans’ 4-0 shutout of Rock Springs on Saturday at the Tom Staffileno Activity Complex in Casper.
Follow sports editor Jack Nowlin on Twitter @wyovarsity
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The Tigers overcame an early goal by the Fillies for a 2-1 road victory.
Girls high school soccer scores April 30-May 4
Girls high school soccer scores April 26-27
The senior midfielder, who helped lead the Trojans to a state championship last season, signed with the University of Wyoming in December.
Kelly Walsh’s Sydney Stephan changes direction on a Rock Springs defender during their game Saturday at KW’s Tom Staffileno Activity Complex.
Kelly Walsh’s Peyton Hill takes a shot attempt during Saturday’s 4-0 win over Rock Springs at KW’s Tom Staffileno Activity Complex.
Kelly Walsh’s Aspen Scherck celebrates after scoring a goal in the first half of Saturday’s 4-0 win over Rock Springs at KW’s Tom Staffileno Activity Complex.
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