In fairy tale fashion an injured Walden Grove sophomore midfielder/forward Vivien Villarreal came off the bench in the state semifinal, turned the game and then returned to the bench.
On Wednesday at home, No. 2 Walden Grove (19-0-1) trailed much of the game without Villarreal but she came in in the 54th minute and then by the time she went out in the 73rd minute, the Red Wolves had secured a 3-1 victory.
Villarreal has 117 points in 19 games, which is ninth in the country according to Max Preps. She’s also 16th in the country in goals and 23rd in assists as of Thursday morning according to Max Preps.
“She’s just one of those game breakers, she could take over any type of game, but the best thing about it is she is a team player and humble more than anything, and well-liked around her peers,” said Walden Grove Troy Bosley. “So stats are great, but it’s everything she does on and off the field as well.”
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Walden Grove’s Kaela Castro (9), left, hugs Milana Eyrich (4) after Eyrich found the net to give the Red Wolves their first lead, 2-1, of Wednesday’s Class 4A state semifinal matchup against Scottsdale Saguaro.
No. 2 Walden Grove (19-0-1) faces No. 4 Salpointe Catholic in the state championship game on Friday at Marana High. The Red Wolves’ only blemish this season is a 1-1 draw at home with Salpointe.
Walden Grove’s Madison Landman (19) puts the ball back into the mixer over Scottsdale Saguaro’s Eden Ozuna (10) in the second half of their state 4A semifinal matchup Wednesday in Sahuarita.
Although she had a hat trick in the Red Wolves’ 5-1 win over Phoenix Arcadia in the quarterfinals on Saturday, she hurt her ankle.
“She took a little knock in the last game so she was hurting a little bit through practice so we wanted to really give her a day to rest but we needed her,” Bosley said. “She was ready to suit up and get out there and take care of the game.
“It didn’t turn out the way we wanted it to but it kinda did in the same way.”
The players were not available for comment after the game.
Villarreal scored the equalizer in the 57th minute, soon after coming in the game. After senior forward/midfielder Milana Eyrich scored to give WG the lead, Villarreal scored an insurance goal from the edge of the penalty area in the 70th minute.
“That’s her biggest goal so far for us and the emotions on her face and from the fans and everyone showed how great that goal was,” Bosley said.
They made the decision to sit her on Tuesday and then didn’t like how she looked in warm ups.
Walden Grove’s Vivien Villarreal (23) listens with her teammates to the final words from the coaching staff after the Red Wolves came back against Saguaro in the state 4A semifinal Wednesday to reach Friday’s 4A girls championship match.
“With the way the game was going she decided that she’s ready to go out there and give it a go,” Bosley said.
After 35 goals as a freshman, this season she has 46 with a game to play. Among all conferences, Villarreal is third in the state in points and sixth in goals and assists.
Bosley said it depends on how practice goes on Thursday but they plan on playing her the whole game on Friday.
“She went out there and she looked really good and she was able to cut, move around very well,” Bosley said.
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