After one of the best seasons in their history, the SHS girls soccer team is looking to have another appearance in the state championship game, hoping some returning players and a new culture of winning can help them win this year title. The girls started the season with a win, two losses and a tie, earning them a fifth place ranking to begin the year.
“Our goal is really to improve every game” said junior Drew Dafoe, “we don’t have a lot of experience returning and need to focus on making the state tournament first.” The girls started the year with a 0-0 draw against Riverton in the first away game. The girls then went to the Casper Jamboree the next day, where they played three shortened, 26 minute halves.
The girls played the number one ranked team in the state, Natrona County, in their last game of the weekend and lost a close game 1-0. They faced Rock Springs over the weekend as well, losing 2-1. They dropped behind early but were able to score a goal off of a rebound from a missed penalty kick from the foot of Julian again. The girls played Kelly Walsh and beat them 3-0, two goals coming early from outside midfielder sophomore Jennae Fieldgrove and another from sophomore midfielder Emily Julian.
“We played better than I think we expected, I mean, we really have a young team” said sophomore Jennae Fieldgrove. The team returns only a handful of starters from last year’s team, including senior center defenseman Celena Kelly, senior keeper Bailey McLean, junior Madison McClure, sophomore Taylor Townsend, and junior Drew Dafoe. While last season’s squad was senior heavy with tons of experience, this year’s team features several underclassmen in the starting lineup.
For the Wyoming girls soccer season, the field is wide open this year. Natrona County is the only school without a loss, earning two wins and a tie to open the season while all other schools had their fair share of wins and losses. Gillette takes the second place ranking and, despite losing their first two games, Cheyenne Central is third. Just above Sheridan at number four is Cheyenne East. All twelve 4A schools received at least one vote in the top five, and all will be looking to make and win the state tournament.
The Sheridan girls start conference play at home against Cheyenne South and Laramie. Sheridan will be both South and Laramie’s first game of the year.
