By Catherine Garrett | [email protected]

Under a first-year coach, the Corner Canyon High girls soccer began the season with two close losses and battled through plenty of adversity to reach the second round of the 6A state tournament, where they lost to American Fork 6-3 Oct. 11.

“Our season was a roller coaster,” said head coach Fode Doumbia. “All in all, it turned out to be an OK season. I believe it could have been better had we not had so many injuries. At a certain point, we had eight starters injured. That can really affect a team in multiple aspects. We still managed to get to where we stopped last year in state.”

Against the Cavemen, Elise Jeppson scored two goals while Hanna Larsen added the third for the Chargers—while Natalie Blaser and Ainsley Bowers both recorded an assist—in the loss that ended their season.

In the first round, the 15th-seeded defeated No. 18 West 2-0 behind goals from Larsen and Ashley Gastelo and two assists from Jeppson. Goalkeepers Mag Covey and Brighton Jakeman combined for the shutout.

Jeppson led the Corner Canyon offense this season with 10 goals and five assists while Larsen’s four goals and Sunny Meyers three assists and one goal were also top contributors.

A highlight for the CCHS program this year was the freshmen team winning their league with a “solid group of talented players,” according to Doumbia. Their squad included Lola Bell, Lillian Burnett, Rachel Enslow, Alexandra Feroah, Ciara Gastelo, Olivia Gleason, Ella Iverson, Annika Johnston, Olivia Kimgall, Gracie Krueger, Abigail Larson, Abby Love, Kamree Mcdougal, Ava Nelson, Olivia Nordhoff, Alice Peterson, Chloe Ross, Sophia Sims, London Stokes and Channing Weust.

Doumbia credited his 14 “awesome” seniors—Larsen, Blaser, Ainsley Bowers, Taylor Bowers, Elise Covey, Mag Covey, Brylie Harward, Kylie Hiatt, Brighton Jakeman, Sunny Meyers, Alexandra Sanderson, Kayla Welker, Sadie Werts and Alexandria Wong—for their contributions to the program.

Also on the 6-11 Chargers team this season were junior Ella Axtman, Megan Broadbent, Whitney Bryner, Zoe Gutierrez, Eliza Hegewald, Shaye Neal, Lacee Nelson, Ava Perkins, Allison Rodriguez and Addie Wells; and sophomores Olivia Byington, Bella Call, Mckinsey Cox, Olivia Flack, Hagen Haycock, Ava Howell, Gracie Johnsen, Chaselyn Nichols, Kenzie Randall, Addison Rowley and Halle Wroten.

Doumbia was assisted by Jaddon Rogers, Kelsey Haag and Alban Gozo along with team manager Suzy Covey on the coaching staff this year.