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Rock Canyon girls soccer o to rough start
Has rough schedule
BY JIM BENTON SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
Rock Canyon’s girls soccer team is o to slow start with a rugged non-league schedule.
e Jaguars, the third-ranked team in the CHSAANow.com state rankings has started the 2023 season with a 0-2-1 record.
Rock Canyon opened the season with a 1-1 double overtime tie against Arapahoe, a perennial playo team, which is also ranked in the top 10.
Eighth-ranked Fossil Ridge blanked the Jaguars, 2-0, in a March 21 game at Echo Park.
Rock Canyon then dropped a 2-1 overtime decision to fourth ranked Pine Creek on March 23.
“We have a really tough nonleague schedule,” said Rock Canyon coach Mat Henbest. “We de nitely think it will help us down the road.
e schedule does prepare us.” e Jaguars have had trouble scoring in the early games this season.
“It is easier to defend than it is to create,” said Henbest. “It does make a di erence.”
Mid elder Addison Vali, a senior who has committed to play for SMU next season, had the lone Rock Canyon goal in the game against Arapahoe. Nicole Fraser scored for the Jaguars in the overtime setback at Pine Creek.
In early season games involving teams ranked in the top ten in the March 20 state rankings, it seems thatdefenses of the teams might be a little ahead at least according to the numbers.
In games completed before March 22, the combined o ensive production was 2.368 goals per game while the top 10 ranked teams have allowed just 0.842 goals a game.
Rock Canyon gave up two second half goals in the loss to Fossil Ridge despite having a 10-4 advantage in shots on goal.
Nicola Frazer got the gamewinning goal for Pine Creek in the second overtime period to defeat the Jaguars in the March 23 contest.
