Lady Eagles No. 2 seed going into state

Boulder City High School girls soccer will be making a trip to the 3A state tournament for the first time since 2021, after strong postseason play.

Despite dropping the regional championship game to rival Moapa Valley 2-0, on Oct. 31, the Eagles will enter the tournament as the No. 2 seed from the South.

“I’m not surprised we made it to state,” head coach Kristin Shelton said. “These girls know how to battle on the field, especially when it counts and I believe their hard work and effort throughout the season led us exactly to where we are supposed to be.”

Despite being unable to get on the board in the championship game against the Pirates, the Eagles finished postseason play with a 2-1 record, defeating both Virgin Valley and Equipo Academy.

Both teams represented the South last season at state.

Defeating Virgin Valley 2-1, the Eagles got goals from both Susan Muir and Sophia Elburn, while Lila Stankovic dished out an assist.

Active defensively, the Eagles generated 20 steals as a team, highlighted by four apiece from Muir and Kennedy Steckelberg.

“I think these girls had an incredible game against Virgin Valley,” Shelton said. “We definitely dominated and maintained control throughout. I am really proud they got that win, coming back from a loss the last time we played them.”

In their opening round match of the postseason, the Eagles defeated Equipo Academy 2-0 on Oct. 26.

Traveling to Sparks, the Eagles will now be tasked with taking on Northern champion Truckee on Friday in the opening round of the state tournament at Reed High School.

Going into state with an overall record of 11-3-4, Coach Shelton is hopeful the girls continue to play sharp and focused as the level of competition gets stiffer.

“The competition will be fierce at state and we cannot let down at all,” Shelton said. “We know the girls are going to have to play at the top of their game and stay focused on efficiency. They have to continue to push themselves and give maximum effort.”