Walden Grove’s girls soccer team isn’t shy when it comes to its goal of winning a state title.
With the emergence of transfer Isabella Solorza and almost everyone back from last year’s quarterfinals run, the 18-1 Red Wolves have no reason to be timid.
Walden Grove, in just its third year of existence, is outscoring its opponents 99-10. The Red Wolves sit atop the Division III rankings.
“They’ve been serious from the get-go,” coach Carey Bauer said. “I love the fact that they’ve had this goal set, and they’ve never deviated from that.”
The Red Wolves avenged their lone loss, a 2-1 defeat to Salpointe Catholic in the Walden Grove Tournament championship by beating the Lancers 1-0 four days later. In between that they beat Sahuaro, one of the best teams in Division II, in a game that was decided on penalty kicks.
People are also reading…
Here are a few reasons for the Red Wolves’ success:
Shooting star
Solorza has scored a state-high 29 goals and is first in total points (84).
The sophomore transfer from Sahuarita has scored in her last seven games and in 15 of the 19 games. She has nine multigoal performances this year.
Solorza also has 26 assists, tied with Rio Rico’s Veronica Cruz for most in the state. She has recorded two or more assists in 11 games.
“She communicates well with her team and has this unselfish play about her,” Bauer said. “She can distribute the ball anywhere and sees the field and where the pieces will be, and she’ll place the ball exactly where it needs to be every single time. It’s pretty remarkable.”
Youth is served
Solorza isn’t then only underclassman who’s shining for Walden Grove. The Red Wolves start as many as seven sophomores depending on their lineup.
Helping to lead the offensive charge is Rachel Carrell. Last season’s team leader in goals and assists is the only other player with double-digit goals and assists this season.
“She’s always on; 100 percent effort all the time,” Bauer said.
Captain Malia Vanisi and Lauren Henn round out the Red Wolves’ offense.
“They’re amazing,” Solorza said. “It’s because of them I’m doing so well.”
Lockdown defense
Walden Grove has limited opponents to 10 goals all season thanks to an experienced group of juniors on the back end.
Natalie Licht, an exchange student from Denmark, has brought a skill set perfect for Walden Grove’s possession-based style of play.
Daelyn Mayer, the team’s top shutdown defender, made her way from forward to midfield to left back over
the past three seasons
before finding success as a stopper.
“In the past when one girl was giving us problems I’d be like, ‘put me back there; I’ll take her,’ ” said Mayer. “I always look for the one that stands out. I want the best one.”
Sarah Carrell, Rachel’s older sister and one of the team captains, plays alongside Mayer.
“If we get in a tight spot you can absolutely rely on her to get the ball back,” Bauer said.
Walden Grove’s defensive success has limited shots on goal: Jaylene Lopez’s workload is down significantly in her third year between the posts.
“We try not to let other teams play in our games,” Solorza said.
