Lady Trojans defensive effort short against Virgin Valley
It’s been a tough road this season for a young Pahrump Valley High School girls soccer team.
Dropping a tightly contested home league match to Virgin Valley High School Wednesday 2-0, the Trojans have now fallen to a 1-5-1 (1-5-1 3A Southern League) record.
Combining for six shot-on-goal opportunities throughout the match, the Trojans were given some great looks off a few beautiful drop-kicks from junior goalkeeper Jazmyn Herrera but were unable to capitalize on the position.
“Both goalkeepers were phenomenal today,” head coach Amy Carlson said post-match. “They were locked in, and they really saved us from what could have been a much different scoreline. The two goals conceded came more from unavoidable situations rather than defensive breakdowns.”
The first goal by the Bulldogs was a top-shelf strike that no one was stopping and the other came off a couple of unlucky deflections.
Both goalkeepers, Herrera and senior Julianne Briggs, played their tails off as Herrera was 5/6 in save opportunities coming off the bench in the second half before Briggs had recorded 6/7 save opportunities in the first half.
One of the night’s standout moments came from Briggs, who showed a new level of aggression and intensity that hasn’t always been present this season.
“That was a huge turnaround. We’ve been trying to get through to her — pep talks, training, encouragement — and finally it just came down to being direct,” Carlson said. “We told her, ‘If you want to play, you have to give 120%.’ She showed up early today, trained during the JV game, and honestly, that was the best performance I’ve seen from her in two years.”
While the defensive effort was strong, the offensive unit struggled to maintain possession and take advantage of given opportunities.
“We had a few chances, but we just held onto the ball too long. Too many touches in tight spaces. Sometimes it’s ironic — too much passing instead of just taking the shot,” Carlson said. “We need quicker decisions, fewer ‘kickball’ moments, and more fluid movement.”
The Trojans came into the match with a more rotational approach, subbing frequently and giving various players minutes in key positions.
“We’ve got two solid teams sitting on one bench,” the coach explained. “We’re blessed with depth, so it’s not about being pulled for making a mistake. Subbing is about keeping fresh legs and using that depth to our advantage. That’s a culture shift we’re working on — making it clear that every sub is strategic, not punitive.”
With league play heating up and the season entering the second half, the focus now shifts to building on the momentum and grit shown in this latest performance.
“This game marks the beginning of Round Two for us,” Carlson said. “Minus Cimarron-Memorial (High School), we’ll be facing all these teams again. Tonight we saw hustle and heart — those are things you can’t teach. As long as they keep showing that, the results will come. This was the best we’ve played all season. The score doesn’t reflect it, but they left everything out there tonight, and that’s been missing in earlier games.”
The Trojans will be on the road in their next match against league rivals Moapa Valley High School next Tuesday on Sept. 16 at 5:45 p.m.
Moapa Valley High School is located at 2400 N. St. Joseph St., in Overton.
Contact Jacob Powers at jpowers@pvtimes.com. Follow @jaypowers__ on X.
