Girls soccer: Perry barrage buries Highland

December 4, 2017 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


Perry's Jackie Gilbert (24) dribbles past Highland's Kyra Hintz in Monday's match. (AzPreps365 photo)

Perry's girls soccer team showed Monday afternoon the football team is not the only one that can light up a scoreboard.

Perry scored six goals in the second half and six different players got in the act as the Pumas pulled away for an 8-0 victory over previously unbeaten Highland on Day 2 of the Coyote Classic Soccer Invitational at Campo Verde High School.

Both schools entered the match unbeaten after the season's first week -- Highland 3-0 and Perry 2-0. This was their first match of the week-long tournament.

Perry was one of 6A's top teams last year and one with lots of firepower. before it lost in the semifinals to eventual champ Xavier Prep.

That offensive prowess likely won't subside this year with several of the top scorers returning or whoh will return later in the year. Senior midfielder Amanda Dahl, who scored 45 goals last year, netted a pair in this one as did fellow senior Trinity Kaufman.

Dahl opened the scoring in the 12th minute after a defensive miscue by Highland from about 30 yards out that let Dahl gain possession and operate one-on-one to tally. Solid goal tending by Highland senior Sarah McGhee throughout the first half kept Highland in the match.

McGhee was shaken up late in the first half, -- the final two minutes. She exited and backup keeper Ashlyn Lee made a nice save cold off the bench with 30 seconds left. But an alert follow by Kaufman from  two yards out pushed the lead to 2-0 at intermission. The match got away quickly as the second half started and by the 45th minute the outcome was sealed.

Sophomore Brenna Alderson nailed a shot in the 44th minute just inside the top of the box. A minute later Dahl knocked home her second goal in a scramble inside the penalty area. Dahl left immediately following that goal with an upper-thigh muscle pull and did not return.

Perry scored four more times -- junior defender Annika Sandstedt in the 54th minutes, Kaufman again in the 63rd, Annie Hall in the 71st and Aneesa Diaz in the 74th. Hall and Diaz were brought up to the varsity to get some time in the tournament.

"We've started the year with a lot of injuries, and we have to manage them appropriately," Perry coach John Roberts said. "With Amanda going down we have three seniors out. We'll see if Amanda can get back by Friday, but we won't rush it if it isn't right. She was feeling the injury some before the game, but didn't tell us."

"There are a lot of good teams out theree and by the end of the season you want to be as healthy as possible."

As is the case with most teams in early-season tournaments, playing time is often managed for starters. Reserves who don't see much action get some opportunities. That's the approach Perry is taking.