No. 6 Pahrump Valley eliminated by No. 3 Moapa Valley in 3A girls playoffs
For Pahrump Valley seniors Natalia Vallin and Aubree Williams, Monday night marked the end of an era.
The pair, who had been previously crowned champions on the big stage as sophomores, saw their high school soccer careers come to a close in a 2-0 loss to Moapa Valley in the Class 3A Southern Regional playoffs.
It was a tough way to go out as the Lady Trojans fought to the final whistle, pouring everything they had into keeping their season alive, but couldn’t break through in the second half.
”High school soccer will always have a special place in my heart, this team has always felt like a second family to me,” Vallin said. “Closing this door is very heartbreaking, but with this door closing, so many more will open up as I try to compete at the collegiate level.”
Despite Trojans senior goalkeeper Julieanne Briggs keeping the Pirates scoreless in the first half with key saves, the Pirates tidal offense would swell over Pahrump’s midfield, with goals by junior Abby Palmer and Anna Winward in the second half.
Throughout the match, the Trojans were only able to amass five shots on goal from Vallin (3), Williams (1) and junior co-captain Natalie Soto (1).
Briggs finished the evening with a total of nine saves in 11 attempts, as the senior was near perfect on the scoresheet till late in the match.
The season’s ending wasn’t what the program had envisioned, especially after being one of the first fall teams to kick off conditioning back in June.
Still, there’s a ton to be proud of, including a noticeable rise in community support.
”The girls, coaches, and all the other people in my life made it very special,” Vallin said. “It felt amazing to not only get the recognition but it was very sad having to see all the girls and knowing it was one of our last times all playing together.”
Head coach Amy Carlson said that this year’s crowds made a real difference.
“Sometimes it’s tough because there are other events happening at the same time — volleyball games, other school activities — so fans get split,” Carlson said. “But our fans traveled well this year. Even on the road, we always had a strong, vocal group behind us.”
Blood, sweat and literal tears have been poured into the Trojans turn-around year this fall.
“The hardest part is that we’re not the type of coaches who sugarcoat things. We’re real with them,” Carlson said. “We really believed this was our year — we had the talent. They finished strong and played the way we knew they could, and that’s something to be proud of.”
Starting the season in August with a tie and three consecutive losses, the Trojans were able to save their year and make the playoffs as the sixth seed going 4-2-1 in their last seven matches.
“It was incredibly rewarding. That’s exactly what we’d been waiting for — what we knew they were capable of,” Carlson said. “There are games you win or lose where you walk away thinking, ‘we didn’t really play our best’. But that Moapa game wasn’t one of those. From start to finish, the girls gave everything they had. When they got scored on, they played even harder. They picked each other up and left it all on the field.”
With six key graduating seniors departing the program, the Trojans will look to their younger talent that showcased its ability this season to hang in with the best.
“I’m actually really confident,” Carlson said. “The hardest part about having young talent is managing the nerves. A lot of people don’t realize how much pressure comes with being a freshman or sophomore on varsity.”
Looking back, Carlson said that her captains did a great job bonding the younger teammates and set the standard for what is to come.
“This season had ups and downs — we didn’t have the record we hoped for — but there was always growth,” Carlson said. “Even the girls who split time between JV and varsity now know what to expect now, so next season they’ll come in stronger.”
Contact Jacob Powers at jpowers@pvtimes.com. Follow @jaypowers__ on X.
