Douglas freshman Jordan Smith is emotional Monday night after the Tigers absorbed a 1-0 loss against Bishop Manogue in a snow-blown Northern Division I Region Tournament championship game at Carson High School.
Back in August, the Douglas High girls soccer team opened its season against one of the West’s top teams. This weekend, the Tigers very well could see their season end against another ranked team at the NIAA Division I State Tournament in Reno.
Douglas (15-5-3) opens today at noon against Coronado (18-1-2) at North Valleys High School.
Three-time defending state champion Arbor View (22-1-1) faces Bishop Manogue (19-3-2) in the other semifinal game.
“Our goal at the beginning of the year was to make it to state,” said coach Werner Christen, whose Douglas team lost 1-0 to Bishop Manogue in the Northern region finals Monday night. “We had a young team but I always felt somehow we were going to get there. The mix of new and old players seemed to gel a little better at the end of the season and we were able to get to state. Sure we wanted to win Monday but it didn’t work out. The great thing was we were able to get together as a team the next day.”
The Tigers will face a tall order from the South. Remember, the Tigers took a 24-0 record to Henderson for the state tournament last year and lost 5-1 to Arbor View.
A day later, Arbor View defeated Coronado for the title, 6-0.
Arbor View and Coronado are currently listed No. 4 and No. 5 in the TopDrawersoccer.com website’s West Regional fall rankings. Douglas lost 3-1 in its Aug. 28 season opener against a Montgomery (Santa Rosa, Calif.) team that occupies the No. 3 spot.
Coronado defeated Silverado 4-1 in the Sunrise Region final last Saturday behind senior midfielder Taylor Kornieck’s hat trick, while Carli Young added one goal and two assists.
The 6-foot-1 Kornieck is a member of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer U18 team and a University of Colorado commit.
Douglas has only two seniors: McKenna Kynett and Alissa Holley. Kynett, who gave a verbal commitment to Boise State University last spring, has scored 23 goals this season and has a school record career total of 111.
On the other side of the bracket, Arbor View is riding an 18-game win streak since bowing to Coronado, 3-2, on Sept. 12 in the finals of the Las Vegas Kick-Off. The Aggies are led offensively by sophomores Deja Erickson (25 goals), Allyssa Larkin (17 goals, 15 assists) and Sierra Vicente (15 goals). Arbor View defeated Centennial 4-0 in the Sunset Region final on Saturday.
Manogue blends experience and youth on its roster with seven seniors and seven sophomores. Senior forward Marin Zaccheo leads the team with 23 goals and eight assists. Sophomore center midfielder Bekah Gonzalez had three goals and eight assists during the regular season, and it was her 20-yard direct free kick in the final minute that lifted the Miners past Douglas in a snowstorm Monday night.
VOLLEYBALL
Dayton faces Faith Lutheran
LAS VEGAS — Dayton, the second seed out of northern Nevada, faces No. 1 Faith Lutheran in the state semifinals today at 8 p.m. at Foothill High School.
The Dust Devils enter the match at 23-7 and Faith Lutheran is 28-11.
Makenna Olsen leads hitters with 80 kills and setter Shalia Powell and Rachel Hadley lead in digs with 125 and 214, respectively. Powell has 341 assists.
Bobbi Tharaldson leads the Crusaders with 258 kills while Elizbeth Tuls and Sydney Washigton have 189 and 187, respectively. Logan Van Reken has 232 digs.
• Yerington, 27-12, faces The Meadows, 10-10, today at 2:30 p.m. at Coronado High,
Kassidy Lommori leads the Lions with 421 kills and 134 digs. Ashley Rife hs 530 assists.