Lady Warriors/Reds Move to 3A’s Second Round

Lady Warriors/Reds Move to 3A’s Second Round by Develon Isom Kcsg Television
Published - 10/13/11 - 05:35 AM | 0 | 5 | | Share This Article |

Snow Canyon's Callie Stewart breaks away just prior to scoring a goal. (photo/Todd Ellis) slideshow


Callie Stewart shoots a goal-scoring ball against Wasatch on Wednesday as a Wasp defender tumbles. (photo/Todd Ellis)slideshow


Arianna Weide plays a corner kick against Wasatch. (photo/Develon Isom) slideshow


Snow Canyon's Cecilee Horlacher walks to the goalie box before Wednesday's match against Wasatch. (photo/Develon Isom) slideshow (St. George, UT) – The Snow Canyon Warriors played the first 40 minutes against the Wasatch Wasps under-deserving of their desire to be state champions, but they reversed that manner quickly after the second half began.

The Lady Warriors came out of the halftime break as if a fire had been lit. Three minutes into the second half (43rd minute), Callie Stewart broke past most of the Wasp defense with ball in possession. She fired a shot that ricochet off a defender and then regained possession, cut inside to the middle of the field directly in front of the Wasatch net, and sent her second shot to the top left corner of the box past the goalie, putting her team up 1-0. Stewart gave thanks to the assist by teammate Cecilee Horlacher.

“It was just a great ball, a great set-up by Cecilee, and I was just there for the run,” Stewart said about her team-leading 10th goal of the season. “Just put it in the back of the net.”

Snow Canyon coach Kenny Kunde admitted that he and the coaching staff pressed the girls a bit in their halftime speeches.

“I did have to get after them a little bit for not being more aggressive,” Kunde said. “We had a pretty good scouting report on Wasatch, we weren’t quite sure what they we going to do. They were without their best player, so there was some unpredictability there.

“We figured they were going to pack it in, and let us have a little bit of control, and force us to make decisions in the box. I thought our mid-field possession in the first half was awful. So we told our girls at half, this is it, there is no tomorrow.”

The girls responded to their coaches pleas.

“Our possession was better, we got anything we wanted down the sidelines,” Kunde said. “We tell the girls all the time, when they play like they are capable of, they are a difficult team to beat.”

Five minutes after Stewart’s goal, junior winger Arianna Weide turned on the jets and sprinted down the near sideline with the ball, waiting for a Warrior teammate to take position in front of the Wasatch net.

Horlacher, who played keeper in the first half, centered herself at the eight-yard line and waited for Weide’s crossing pass. After her 40-yard run, Weide drove deep into the near corner, and then sent the ball to Horlacher. Horlacher caught the pass, gained control and with authority kicked the ball past the Wasatch keeper.

“Every time,” Horlacher said in describing Weide’s play-making ability. “You can feel the excitement growing. You make eye contact with her, and you know a ball is coming in from her.”

Horlacher is back from a torn ACL she suffered last season, and is more than happy to be on the pitch in postseason play in her senior season.

“I knew where the ball was. I knew where the goal was,” she said. “I placed it where it needed to go.”

Her coach is proud of the work she put in to make a return from the injury.

“She’s been hungry for success all season long,” Kunde said. “It’s been a long recovery process for her coming back from that torn ACL. She’s been working hard and it’s great to see her play well.”

Weide’s eighth assist impressed her coach as well as the Snow Canyon crowd.

“It’s just fun to watch someone be that fast,” Kunde said. “Holy smokes! The thing that makes her so dangerous is that she is so smart with the ball. She understands when to knock it in, she can get around people, and then she has that burst that causes such separation from defenders.”

The Warriors capitalized on some of their attributes Wednesday, Horlacher and Stewart’s power combined with Weide’s speed, and they will need more of it to have success the rest of the way in the 3A State tournament.

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